A Fix for when InDesign Split Columns Doesn't Work
Thanks to David at InDesign Secrets I've verified a little bug with InDesign's Split Columns feature. Apparently if you try to split columns at the end of a story it just won't work.
The solution is easy enough though:
Add an extra empty paragraph to the end of the story.
Split the column as you would normally.
Delete the extra empty paragraph.
I can't explain why it is that you need the extra paragraph there to make the column split, or why you can delete it immediately afterwards with no Read more [...]
Dead Simple PHP Calendar
I needed a calendar for a PHP project I was working on. I did a quick look around and found some promising solutions, but they all seemed way more complex than what I wanted. They also used tables, which are gross. This is a ridiculously easy way to get a calendar from php:function calendar($date=false){
$date_parts=(!$date)?preg_split("/[-]+/",$date):preg_split("/[-]+/",date('Y-m-d'));
$year=$date_parts[0];$month=$date_parts[1];$day=$date_parts[2];
$time=mktime(0,0,0,$month,1,$year);
$month_name=date('F',$time);
$days_in_month=cal_days_in_month(CAL_GREGORIAN,$month,$year);
$first_day=date('w',$time);
$calendar=''.$month_name.' Read more [...]
Verizon and the Sale of the Customer
According to Verizon's latest update to their privacy policy, they will now "share" (i.e. sell) lots of information that may make customers uncomfortable. Verizon's changes to their privacy policy, one must assume the term privacy is being used ironically, includes sharing:
Mobile Usage Information:Addresses of websites you visit when using our wireless service. These data strings (or URLs) may include search terms you have usedLocation of your device ("Location Information")App and device feature Read more [...]
iOS 5: Why I finally Jailbroke My iPod
First, I want to say that I love my iPod Touch. In Japan it was a constant companion. It was my map, my music, my entertainment during long commutes, my study aid, and a few other nice things along the way. Each very of iOS has brought with it a slew of enhancements that make it easier and more enjoyable to use. Unfortunately, each iteration of iOS brings something else as well, preloaded BS apps. While the available storage options have climbed, there is still just a scant 64gb peak. That means Read more [...]
Paywalls and Crowdsourcing
I saw this in the NYTimes recently:
The Lede is tracking reports of the damage and the tsunami warnings. Are you in an affected area? What are you seeing? Send your photos to pix@nyt.com
What's interesting to me is that they are basically asking people to work for the NYTimes for free. This isn't a new idea, it actually already has a name, it's called crowdsourcing.
What makes it interesting is this:
Taking a step that has tempted and terrified much of the newspaper industry, The New York Times Read more [...]
Thoughts on "Stopping Piracy"
There is no way to stop people from stealing. Humans have been stealing since well before computers came around, and they’ll never stop (at least not in our lifetimes). It’s better to let go of the idea of stopping it and figure out ways to work around it.
Theft is an unstoppable force. If you see a car speeding towards you and you want to live, you don’t think of how to stop the car, you just get the hell out of the way.
Related items
The Perils of Using a Free WordPress Theme
Take a look at what happened to this blog's hit counts after switching (briefly) to a new and free WordPress theme downloaded from the official WordPress website.
Before I used my own variation of the freely available sandbox theme. I switched after updating the template andlosing some of my work on it. Now I've gone back with though I haven't put any real effort into making the site look "good."
Since replacing the theme, my site's stats have returned to normal. I won't name the theme that killed Read more [...]
Will Yahoo! and the Others Change Their China Policies Now?
Technology companies in the United States have succumbed to pressure by authoritarian foreign governments to provide such governments with information about Internet users that has led to the arrest and imprisonment of cyber dissidents, in violation of the corporate responsibility of such companies to protect and uphold human rights. Read more [...]
The OiNK According to Trent Reznor
I'm not saying that I think OiNK is morally correct, but I do know that it existed because it filled a void of what people want." The market has been telling the industry what it wants for years now, wonder when the music industry will get a clue. Read more [...]
Running IE 6 and IE 7
IE 7 is far far better at following the standards set for web browsers, but that doesn't help for IE 6. But that isn't the problem, the problem is that IE 7 copies over IE 6. It can install IE 5, IE 5.5, IE 6, or any combination thereof. Read more [...]
