Digital Alchemy dot TV

Google Store: Get Your Lava Lamps and Google Gum

noreply@blogger.com (Robson Lee) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 22:34:00 +0000

Probably old news, but new to me: Google is selling branded merchandise. If you can't live without a Google License Plate Frame or even Google gum, Google Store is the place to shop. There's a clearance on right now so get your Google Bib Bike Shorts and Google Trucker Cap while supplies last. Of course, they also stock Lava Lamps.

I wonder how much of their annual revenues comes from this.

Free Picasa Templates: Easily Create Photo Galleries and Slideshows

noreply@blogger.com (Robson Lee) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 22:30:00 +0000

Picasa is an easy-to-use photo organizer from Google that lets you add simple effects and share your photos online.

Picasa templates are one easy way to create photo galleries and slideshows to showcase your artistic works online. You don't need to know any HTML, CSS, JavaScript, or Flash to create professional looking webpages.

You can download dozens of templates from these sites:

Free Picasa Templates:

Future of Memories: Offers eight professional templates with names like Blur, Coloroid, and Show-tell.

To use these templates, you'll have to unzip them into the directory \Program Files\Picasa 2\web\templates\. Each template needs to go into a separate folder.

Once that's done, start Picasa and select the images you want in your gallery. Click Folder->Export as Webpage. Hit Next and select a template from the list. Click Finish and you're done!

Speed up your Hard Drive

noreply@blogger.com (Robson Lee) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:19:00 +0000

One way to speed up your computer is to increase your hard drive's performance. If you've been using your computer for a while, you've probably noticed that your computer is getting slower. One reason for this is that your hard drive has gotten more fragmented over time. This means that as you install and delete things from your hard drive, holes are being created and filled randomly with other files so, say, your video of Madonna might be broken up into thirty pieces all over your hard drive, slowing down its playback.

Well, Windows XP has a Disk Defragmenter that will solve all your woes. It takes the pieces of each file and puts them together again so they can be read in one clean pass. Be sure to run this program at night since it takes several hours and make sure to close any open programs. Go to Start->All Programs->Accessories->System Tools->Disk Defragmentor to access it.

Click the Analyze button. It'll tell you if you need to defragment your hard drive.

A lot of red is a bad sign. If it says "You should defragment this volume", click the Defragment button. Come back in a few hours, and your hard drive should be purring.

Clear Private Information from Firefox

noreply@blogger.com (Robson Lee) — Sat, 02 May 2009 03:46:00 +0000

If you want to remove all user preferences and private data like cookies or web history from Firefox, there's a very simple way.

1. Go to C:->Documents and Settings->Your User Name
->Application Data
2. Delete the Mozilla folder.

That will wipe everything, and when you restart Firefox, it'll create a new Mozilla folder.

If you aren't able to find the Application Data folder, it is probably because it is hidden. To make it visible, open up a folder and go to Tools->Folder Options->View.

Click on Show hidden files and folders and click OK. Then go back to step 1 and complete the process.

This method is only effective against casual privacy intrusions by nosey friends or parents. The data can still be retrieved through more sophisticated methods.

If you only want to delete the cache, cookies, and web history and not your custom browser settings, go to Firefox and go to Tools-> Clear Private Data. You can tweak the settings for this tool by going to Tools-> Options-> Privacy-> Settings.

Zamzar: Free Online File Converter

noreply@blogger.com (Robson Lee) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:48:00 +0000

Zamzar lets you upload files up to 100MB and convert them into one of several dozen file types. Documents, audio, video, and images are supported. The UI is simple with four steps to completion. One neat feature is that you're emailed the link to the converted file once the file conversion is completed so you don't have to check back to the site.

You can also convert multiple files at once although then you can only do one kind of file conversion.

Zamzar

[via]

An Amazing Collection of Free Photo Sites for Your Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Robson Lee) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 19:29:00 +0000

Just having text in your blog posts can be a bit dry. Photos help to liven things up, giving visitors something colorful to look at, but it's often difficult to track down a photo that matches your post. It's even more difficult sometimes to tell if you're even allowed to use the photo once you've tracked down one that you like. A good rule of thumb to follow is that images found in government sources like NASA Images are likely in the public domain since they can't copyright their work.

Luckily, Lorelle on Wordpress has done a lot of hard work and assembled a very comprehensive list of photo sites that are likely to be freely usable by anyone. Gimme sites like Flickr are listed, but there are dozens of more obscure sources as well.

Warning: Restrictions may apply in some cases so look for information about usage rights. Sometimes, you'll have to give a link back to the source where you got the image or register at the site.

Geoengineering Away Global Warming

noreply@blogger.com (Robson Lee) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:29:00 +0000

Paul Crutzen, the 1995 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry for his work on the ozone layer, has proposed injecting sulfur into the atmosphere so less sunlight will penetrate it. Artillery guns on high-altitude balloons would be used to fire sulfur into the atmosphere. There is historical precedent. "When Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines erupted in 1991, it sprayed millions of tons of sulfur into the atmosphere. Much to scientists' surprise, the sulfur reflected so much sun that the Earth’s surface cooled by almost one full degree Fahrenheit in the year following the eruption." This could work, but only temporarily since sulfur only stays in the atmosphere for a couple of years while carbon dioxide lingers for over a century.

Music You Can Freely Use in Podcasts and Videos

noreply@blogger.com (Robson Lee) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 00:42:00 +0000

Online music repository Jamendo has a wealth of Creative Commons-licensed music. Listening to a few tracks, I found the mix to be quite good. There are quite a few gems (listen to Legendary). About 1500 albums are on the site with the number increasing exponentially (illustrated below). Conveniently, you can download albums through Bittorrent or eMule. If you hear songs in French, don't be surprised since Jamendo was French-founded. Based on tag size and my own random sampling, electronica seems to dominate with rock, pop, and ambient a few steps behind. There's also some good relaxing music you can use to cool down at the end of the day.

Jamendo is a great resource if you want to add a track to your podcast or video you want to upload to Youtube. For one thing, you aren't going to be sued by the RIAA or have your video taken down. I've bookmarked several videos on Youtube that mysteriously vanished when I tried to go back to watch them again.

Overall, it's an awesome resource for remixing and sharing music and represents an interesting model for distributing music by bringing P2P and open licensing together. While studio released music is nice in its uniformity, Jamendo offers a nice way to access the long tail of music.

Create Animated GIFs in Seconds with Gickr

noreply@blogger.com (Robson Lee) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:58:00 +0000

Gickr is a really cool animated GIF creator. All you need to do is enter a Flickr tag or username and check the boxes next to a few pictures. Then choose a speed and size and click next. That's it. You can also upload images to use.

It's very useful if you want to quickly embed a slideshow or animation without using Flash or PowerPoint.

It literally took me less than a minute create this animation:

Gickr

(via Lifehacker)

Billster Helps You Track Your Spending

noreply@blogger.com (Robson Lee) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 20:48:00 +0000

Billster is another site that helps you organize your finances. It's not as socially oriented as Wesabe, but it does have a Connections panel that keeps track of who you've had transactions with. Helpfully, Billster will send invite emails to your friends if you include their address when you add them.
Under the Bills tab, you can add personal expenses, group expenses, what's owed you, and what you owe. You can also tag your bills. A weakness is that, unlike Wesabe, you can't import your data directly from your bank. Manually entering your transactions data will probably get tiring although you can mark recurring payments as such, which reduces the burden slightly. The interface is similar to the one you use when doing e-banking (making single/recurring payments, etc.).The most helpful screen is the Dashboard where you can visualize the flow of cash in and out of your account. If you use tags carefully, you can also get a sense of the relative proportions of your spending. Do you spend a lot on haircuts? How much of your income goes to rent? There's also a half-baked six degrees-ish graphic that shows how many connections you have, how many your friends have, and so on. Maybe more social features will be added soon, and this feature will have added significance.

Once financially oriented sites start appearing, it's usually a sign that the market is maturing. I suspect we'll see several more popping up soon. Certainly, there have been a fair number of social stock-picking sites launching recently along with impressive rallies in the market.

Cristina Warthen Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Robson Lee) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 21:42:00 +0000

Cristina Warthen has been fined $313,134 for tax evasion. The 35-year-old Stanford Law School graduate and former call girl has been forced to pay back all her earnings from escorting after failing to pay any taxes. Making the story more memorable, Warthen, formerly known as Cristina Schultz, is the wife of David Warthen, founder of search engine Ask Jeeves.

David Warthen married her in 2004, only months after the case against her was initiated, and tried to cover for her call girl career by saying the money was a gift from him. Cristina, for her part, advertised for clients online at a site called TouchofBrazil, which touted her as a "Portuguese-speaking entertainer and physical model."

Calling herself "Brazil", Cristina Warthen charged $1300 for a two hour session, $5000 for staying overnight, and $15000 for a three-day session. She was willing to travel anywhere from San Francisco to New York in order to pay down her law school loans.

Cristina Warthen Photos

Cristina Warthen

Cristina Warthen as Brazil

Ali Campoverdi: Jon Favreau's Girlfriend (Photos)

noreply@blogger.com (Robson Lee) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 01:08:00 +0000

Ali Campoverdi is Jon Favreau's girlfriend. The Maxim model and actress is currently assistant to a deputy Chief of Staff at the Obama White House. Her 27-year-old boyfriend, no relation to the "Iron Man" director, serves as Director of Speechwriting after working as Obama's chief speechwriter on the campaign.

Graduating from USC with a degree in Communications in 2001, Ali Campoverdi went on to earn an MA in Public Policy from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government last year. Along the way, she appeared on TV in "For Love or Money" and in the movie "Constantine." In November 2004, she modeled for Maxim.

On what she looks for in a significant other, Campoverdi said, "You have to be passionate about something. I don’t care if it’s your job or your hobby or your shoes. Something has to make you tick; something has to make you move." Favreau is certainly obsessive, cutting himself off from personal relationships completely while on the campaign trail.

Ali Campoverdi Photos

Ali Campoverdi

Ali Campoverdi in Underwear

Ali Campoverdi at USC

Ali Campoverdi - Virginia Avenue Project

Malia and Sasha Dolls

noreply@blogger.com (Robson Lee) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:47:00 +0000

Malia and Sasha dolls have been created by Ty. The maker of Beanie Babies admitted basing the designs and names of the dolls on the Obama siblings, but later denied that the Sweet Sasha and Marvelous Malia dolls were made in the image of the Obama sisters.

For her part, First Lady Michelle Obama is displeased. Her spokeswoman said, "We believe it is inappropriate to use young private citizens for marketing purposes." Ty is sticking to its story that the names were chosen because they are "beautiful names."

Part of the Ty Girlz line, Marvelous Malia and Sweet Sasha retail for $9.99. Marvelous Malia is dressed in an aqua shirt and capri jeans while Sweet Sasha with pigtail braids wears a white and pink babydoll dress and aqua leggings. Owners of the dolls can meet each other online through the Ty Girlz virtual world.

The Obama girls controversy isn't the first time Ty has been accused of using a celebrity likeness for its dolls. For example, the Precious Paris doll is said to be based on Paris Hilton and the Lucky Lindsay on Lindsay Lohan.

Malia and Sasha Doll Photos

Mariana Bridi da Costa Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Robson Lee) — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 15:46:00 +0000

Mariana Bridi da Costa has died from septicemia. The 20-year-old Brazilian model was originally diagnosed with kidney stones in December, but she was really suffering from a urinary tract infection. The infection spread and developed into septicemia, an illness also known as blood poisoning, which has a 50% death rate.

After having both hands and feet amputated yesterday because of insufficient blood flow to her limbs, Mariana Bridi da Costa died early today at hospital in Serra. The young model was at the start of a promising career, twice placing in the finals for the Miss World beauty contest. She won first place in the "Best in Swimsuit" category of the Miss Bikini International competition that took place in China last year.

Septicemia is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S., killing 800,000 people every year. It is caused by a bacterial infection of the blood and can be treated with antibiotics. Very rarely does it develop into as severe a case as happened to Mariana Bridi da Costa.

In the photos of da Costa, you'll see her holding a banner reading Sergipe, which is the smallest state in Brazil.

Mariana Bridi da Costa Pictures

Mariana Bridi da Costa

Mariana Bridi da Costa Holds Flower Bouquet

Mariana Bridi da Costa in Swimsuit

Mariana Bridi da Costa Models Bikini

Elisabeth Moss, Fred Armisen Engaged

noreply@blogger.com (Robson Lee) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:35:00 +0000

Elisabeth Moss announced her engagement to Fred Armisen over the weeekend. The 26-year-old actress and the 42-year-old comedian were revealed to be a couple only a week earlier. Moss says, "It happened just a few days ago — you're actually the first press person I've told this to. It's private, so I don't want to share the details of how it happened, but I will say it was perfect."

Opening a window into their relationship, Armisen mentioned their mutual passion for video games to the New York Times: "But then I thought we could just hang out with my girlfriend, Lizzie, after her show, and play Rock Band like I’d normally do."

Best known for playing the President's daughter in "The West Wing", Elisabeth Moss has also drawn acclaim for portraying Peggy Olson in "Mad Men." Fred Armisen, on the other hand, is perhaps best known for his work on "Saturday Night Live" as Barack Obama.

Elisabeth Moss, Fred Armisen Photos

Elisabeth Moss

Fred Armisen

John Thain Spends $87K on Rug, Resigns

noreply@blogger.com (Robson Lee) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 22:23:00 +0000

John Thain resigned today as CEO of Merrill Lynch amid scandal. The 53-year-old ex-Goldman Sachs banker formerly known as "Mr. Fixit" may now better be known for spending $1.22 million redecorating his office at the Four World Financial Center in the midst of the subprime crisis. According to CNBC, Thain spent the majority of the bill hiring Michael Smith, who is now redoing the White House for the Obamas, for $800,000. For his part, Obama was able to recruit the celebrity designer's services for a comparable $100,000 bargain.

Alson on his shopping list, Thain secured an $87,000 area rug for his conference room and:

another area rug for $44,000; a "mahogany pedestal table" for $25,000; a "19th Century Credenza" in Thain's office for $68,000; a sofa for $15,000; four pairs of curtains for $28,000; a pair of guest chairs for $87,000; a "George IV Desk" for $18,000; six wall sconces for $2,700; six chairs in his private dining room for $37,000; a mirror in his private dining room for $5,000; a chandelier in the private dining room for $13,000; fabric for a "Roman Shade" for $11,000; a "custom coffee table" for $16,000; something called a "commode on legs" for $35,000; a "Regency Chairs" for $24,000; "40 yards of fabric for wall panels," for $5,000 and a "parchment waste can" for $1,400.

Merrill Lynch was sold to Bank of America in September for $28 billion on the same day that Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy.

Jonas Brothers Surprise Obama Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Robson Lee) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:05:00 +0000

The Jonas Brothers were on hand to greet Sasha and Malia Obama at the end of their first night in the White House. The two First Kids spent the night of the inauguration watching "High School Musical 3" and "Bolt" with their new classmates from Sidwell Friends School and later spent the evening exploring their new home in a scavenger hunt.

Back in February last year, then-Democratic candidate Barack Obama revealed that his eldest daughter Malia was a Jonas fan. Since then, Kevin, Nick, and Joe Jonas have met the Obama girls at least three times: once on the "Ellen DeGeneres" show and again on Monday during the Kids' Inaugural Concert.

Last night, Malia and Sasha met a third time with the Jonas Brothers during their scavenger hunt at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Michelle Obama Talks the Jonas Brothers Video

Obama Inauguration Tickets Sold Online

noreply@blogger.com (Robson Lee) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 13:47:00 +0000

Obama inauguration tickets are being sold on sites like eBay and Craigslist. More than 240,000 tickets to see the swearing-in of President-elect Barack Obama were distributed for free, but some recipients are planning to sell them to the highest bidder for as little as $100 to as high as $3500. Although not illegal, anyone caught selling tickets may have them confiscated.

eBay banned the sale of inaugural tickets in November, but they can still be found in the Washington, D.C. section on Craigslist where almost every posting relates to tomorrow's inaugural celebration. Tickets that let you sit are going for more than standing-only tickets.

Inauguration tickets are very simple in design with the signature of Dianne Feinstein and an admonition to arrive early on the day of the inauguration printed on the front of the ticket. They don't look difficult to fake and come in multiple colors so ticket buyers will want to check their purchases carefully. Also be aware that half of the tickets have people's names printed on them so they are non-transferable, and others are labeled "guest of."

A bill banning the sale of inaugural tickets was passed in the Senate two days ago, but the House has yet to pass the bill.

Obama Inauguration Ticket Photos

Obama Inauguration Ticket

Craigslist Postings of Inauguration Tickets

Obama Presidential Limo Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Robson Lee) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 08:19:00 +0000

Barack Obama will be welcomed into the presidency with a new armored limo nicknamed "The Beast." Built by GM, the 2009 Cadillac Presidential Limousine has been built to be the "most technologically advanced protection vehicle in the world", according to the Secret Service. Although exact details are classified, it's a safe bet that Obama's limo will have the following security features:

1. At least 5-inch armor plating.

Bullet-proof glass windows that don't open.

Run-flat tires that still work even if deflated.

A separate oxygen supply.

Environmentally-sealed interior seating seven people to protect against a chemical attack.

Advanced communications system to keep up with news and developments.

Possibly a remote starting system so that explosives set to go off when the ignition or door locks are activated will be set off at a distance.

Explosion-proof fuel tank in case bullets hit the tank.

On the aesthetic front, the Cadillac sports a 10-disc CD player, hand-stitched leather interiors, and possibly an iPod dock too. Other details are unknown. A General Motors spokesman said, "One of the specifications is that we don't talk about the specifications."

Obama's limo, officially known as the Presidential State Car, will debut on January 20 as part of the inaugural parade down Pennsylvania Avenue.

Obama Presidential Limo Photos

Barack Obama's Armored Limo

Obama Limo Not Yet Painted

Interior of Obama Limo

Robert Pattinson: New Haircut Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Robson Lee) — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 02:26:00 +0000

Robert Pattinson has gotten a new haircut. The 22-year-old "Twilight" heartthrob was spotted with his short haircut leaving London's Heathrow airport, marking a change from his previously tousled look. Given his cult status, this was bigger news than it would otherwise be.

In fact, some fans have questioned Pattinson's ability to portray the vampire Edward Cullen in the upcoming sequel "New Moon" given his trademark sheared locks, but the film is scheduled to begin production in three months giving him ample time to grow them back.

Robert Pattinson Haircut Photos

Robert Pattinson's New Haircut

Robert Pattinson

Corrine Foxx is Jamie Foxx's Daughter

noreply@blogger.com (Robson Lee) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 21:45:00 +0000

Corrine Foxx is Jamie Foxx's daughter. The 14-year-old has recently been banned from dating by her father after some mistook her for his new girlfriend. Foxx says, "I was coming out of a restaurant with her, I guess the paparazzi didn't know who she was, and the paper said, 'Foxx with young hottie.' She's so beautiful, she's five (feet), seven (inches), size nine-and-a-half shoe."

Jamie Foxx concludes, "She's not going to date until she's married." Although living with her mother, Corrine Foxx is often seen with her father, attending Hollywood events. The 41-year-old actor was last seen in "The Kingdom" in 2007, but he will return next year in "The Soloist", playing homeless musician Nathaniel Ayers.

Corrine Foxx Photos

Corrine Foxx & Jamie Foxx

Corrine Foxx & Dad at Grammy's

Rene-Thierry Magon de la Villehuchet Suicide

noreply@blogger.com (Robson Lee) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 21:01:00 +0000

Rene-Thierry Magon de la Villehuchet committed suicide after losing $1.4 billion. The 65-year-old founder of Access International Advisors, a hedge fund, invested client money with Bernard Madoff, who confessed to concealing a $50 billion Ponzi scheme last week.

Found dead in his 22nd floor office on Madison Avenue this morning, Villehuchet's wrists were slit with a box cutter, and he also took sleeping pills. No suicide note was found. He would be the first investor that Madoff defrauded to commit suicide. Although married, he had no children.

Investors in Access International are primarily European and include a Rothschild unit and clients of UBS. Madoff's record was considered so exceptional that Access set up a fund that invested only with him called Luxalpha, which is where the losses are concentrated. The total asset base of Access was $3 billion in September, making the Madoff loss almost half of its investor capital.

Despite Villehuchet's huge loss, other investors lost even more: hedge fund Fairfield Greenwich Group put $7.5 billion into Madoff. Madoff's Ponzi scheme operated by paying old investors back with the money raised from new investors. He is currently under house arrest at his Park Avenue penthouse.

Obama Shirtless Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Robson Lee) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:57:00 +0000

Barack Obama was photographed shirtless while vacationing in Hawaii with his family. The 47-year-old president-elect who has tightly controlled press photographs of his family was caught on camera by a paparazzo who simply set up on a beach in Kailua and the photos in full view of Secret Service. The Obamas are spending Christmas in Hawaii.

Obama's well-defined physique won't be surprising to anyone familiar with his fitness schedule. He headed to the gym every morning before hitting the campaign trail during the election for 45 minutes every day alternating four days of weight training and two days of aerobics and treadmill. Obama is also known for his addiction to Honest Tea, a brand of organic teas, particularly the Black Forest Berry flavor. Perhaps his only unhealthy habit is occasional smoking which he has pledged to stop entirely

Michelle Obama, on the other hand, wore a modest black one-piece bathing suit while younger daughter Sasha went with a blue bikini.

The paparazzo who took the photos of Obama shirtless is said to be a freelance contractor for Bauer-Griffin, a paparazzi agency in California, and lives near the Obama vacation estate.

Obama Shirtless Photos

Obama Shirtless

Obama Shirtless Leaving Beachside Estate

Michelle Obama in One-Piece Swimsuit

Sasha Obama in Blue Bikini

Free McAfee VirusScan Plus Software

noreply@blogger.com (Robson Lee) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 22:07:00 +0000

McAfee is offering a free one-year subscription for its VirusScan Plus product. If your antivirus software is expiring soon or you want to try an alternative, then the price is definitely right. The offer expires December 31, 2008.

A firewall and spyware protection are also thrown in with the antivirus.

Instructions to Get Free McAfee VirusScan

1. Follow this link: http://us.mcafee.com/root/campaign.asp?cid=53347

2. Enter VSPPROMOCF into the promo code box and hit Submit.

3. You should see the $39.99 charge zeroed out, but you'll also see a CD added to your order. Click Remove to delete "Discover and Recover Emergency Reinstall CD" from your order.

4. Click Checkout to receive your free McAfee download.

Samantha Ronson in Hospital for Depression

noreply@blogger.com (Robson Lee) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:44:00 +0000

Samantha Ronson has been hospitalized. After a fast-paced European tour accompanied by girlfriend Lindsay Lohan, the DJ was overcome by stress and exhaustion. Doctors paid a house visit on Sunday, but recommended that Ronson be taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for further exams.

A friend of Samantha Ronson reports, "She's been suffering from depression and from lack of food and sleep. Gal pal Lindsay Lohan has been helping her through this as she has been through it herself two years ago."

But it's not all bad news for Ronson with news that her DJ fee has exploded from $1,500 to $25,000 per gig since dating Lohan: "While Sam never contractually agrees that Lindsay will show up to her shows, promoters, owners and publicists all know that if you book Sam, there's a high likelihood Lindsay will also show." She may have collected $3 million so far this year.