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Scripturecast.net: providing a little help getting your reading done

Sunday, April 6th, 2008

Inspired by General Conference weekend, I’m throwing up a little posting that could be useful to all my LDS friends. Many of you may now be resolving to try to improve your study of the scriptures, but you may find the prospect daunting in that you haven’t been able to devise a system that gets you to make your study a habitual, daily thing.

I’ve found a wonderful online service at a website called Scripturecast.net. Effectively what scripturecast does is to permit you to customize a daily RSS feed that tells you what you should be reading every day, according to the parameters you set. For example, if you want to read the Book of Mormon by July 1st of this year, Scripturecast will automatically divide the book into equal segements. Every day, it will add a new piece to your RSS feed, so you know how much you should read that day. You can access your RSS feed through iTunes or any RSS capable software that you may have on your machine.

If you prefer to set up your schedule with a certain amount of reading per day rather than with a target completion date, Scripturecast has your back there too. You can set it to schedule you to read anything from a chapter (or section) per month to several chapters per day. It’s really all up to you and your personal needs.

That’s not all. Scripturecast will create an HTML page for you (just in case you don’t do the RSS thing so much), where your reading schedule will automatically update every day. It will even provide a link to the chapters or sections you are to read each day so you can go straight to the page on lds.org and read them off the screen. There is even an audio player embedded in the Scripturecast page, so you can simply click it, and have your computer read your scheduled verses to you (once again borrowing from the audiobooks files housed at lds.org).

So if you want to make scripture reading a regular part of your daily schedule, maybe Scripturecast is the trick for you. Scripturecast currently only schedules reading in the Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, and the most recently posted LDS General Conference (so right now they have the October 2007 addresses up), and I don’t know if there are any plans to add the Bible or Pearl of Great Price to the lineup. Nevertheless, I’ve found it to be a very valuable tool in my personal study, and hope it can be useful for you as well.

Posted in Religion, Reviews and Recommendations | No Comments »

Digsby: The little egg-shaped messenger that does it all

Sunday, April 6th, 2008

I’ve just downloaded a new messenger program called Digsby. After a few days of use, it has me very impressed.

Digsby is an internet messenger program comparable to MSN’s Live Messenger or AOL’s AIM. In fact, it’s not just comparable to these programs, but works as a replacement for them. Digsby allows you to sign into all the major messenger services (AOL, MSN, Google Talk, Yahoo, ICQ {for those of you who remember ICQ}, and Jabber). It can also be set up to give you e-mail notifications for your Gmail, Hotmail, and Yahoo Mail, as well as any POP server based e-mail that you may specify. Finally, it allows you to sign into Twitter, Facebook, or MySpace and receive updates and notifications for those social network services.

These capabilities by themselves don’t necessarily set Digsby apart. A program called Trillian has been around for years that allowed you to have one contact list for all your messenger accounts. Another messenger called Pidgin later came on the scene with the basic same abilities, adding support for Google Talk and MySpace messenger. I don’t know if those programs ever let you check any POP server mail account, so Digsby has an edge there, but a couple of other functions that really set it apart.

For one, Digsby is the first free messenger through which you can access all your major messenger accounts that has web cam support. So for those of you out there that want to run a cam, but don’t want to have four different messengers running all the time, Digsby is the choice for you.

Second, and this is really cool, Digsby allows you to embed a widget on any webpage through which a visitor to that page can talk to you live. They don’t have to install a thing (well…they do have to have Adobe Shockwave running on their machine, but apparently 200 million users out there already have it installed). They just browse to the web page where the widget lives. They click on it and can start chatting with you live.

It opens up all sorts of new possibilities for web businesses working on a budget. Did you want to have a live assistance area on your website, where visitors can chat with you? Well, now you can just download and install Digsby, and then run through the simple process of building your widget and embedding the tiny chunk of code Digsby generates into your webage. If you want to add the Widget to Facebook, it’s even more simple. When you set up your Facebook service in Digsby’s preferences, it asks you if you want to add the widget to your profile. It then behaves like any other Facebook app.

Sound cool? You can try it out right now without any downloading. I’ve already installed the widget on my portfolio website at gurustump.com (check the right column under latest additions), and on my facebook profile (left column this time). All you have to do is click in the text-entry field and start typing. If I’m listed as online, it’s a good bet I’ll respond.

So there is a first introduction to Digsby. It is apparently getting a lot of buzz and users out there on the interwebs right now, even though it’s only been in public beta for a few days. It’s already very customizable, but look for it to get mroe features and updates as time goes on.

Posted in Reviews and Recommendations, Technology | No Comments »

Geek/artist buying guide Part 4: Digital Photography Review

Sunday, October 28th, 2007

Which camera is right for me? Do your research at dpeview.com.

DPReview.com is probably the most visited photography website on the internet. Its vast library of articles includes unbiased and comprehensive reviews of the cameras, as well as previews of models yet to be shipped from their manufacturers, and active forums for specific cameras where owners can discuss the problems or features they have encountered. If you’re interested in buying a digital camera but are having a hard time choosing a model, or if you have run into trouble with your current camera, this is a fabulous website to do research on.

The reviews at dpreview.com touch on everything you need to know to decide on the right camera for you. This includes a walkthrough of how each camera works, objective appraisals of how well and quickly the cameras perform, photographic tests comparing the images taken by each camera with images taken by its major competitors, and complete spec sheets. Along with all the data are numerous illustrations, pictures taken by the camera under controlled conditions and pictures of the camera body itself from all angles.

The reviews are very thoughtful. Each has a conclusion with a list of pros and cons and some very illuminating notes on what makes the camera being reviewed a good or bad choice. Since some cameras are better in different situations, suggestions are often given about other models similar to the one under review.

All in all, I think the website is the best way to make a confident choice about what can be a very expensive purchase. You will be less likely to feel any buyer’s remorse over your new camera purchase if you spend some time reading the articles at dpreview. What’s more, you’ll be vasly more knowledgeable about how to operate your new camera once you get it. So if you don’t mind spending the time and do like knowing your stuff, this is the site for you.

http://www.dpreview.com/

If you use dpreview, you should be aware that there are two major types of articles. The larger (and probably more numerous) are the reviews discussed above. There are also “previews” for cameras that have only been announced by their manufacturers. The previews should not be confused with the reviews, because the information in them is provided by the manufacturer itself. No unbiased opinions based on hands-on experience are yet given because the camera has yet to have been made available to the website’s authors. So if you are thinking of buying a cutting edge new camera, I would recommend waiting until a full review has been posted at dpreview, rather than basing your purchase solely on the promises made in one of the previews.

Tags: buying guide
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Geek/artist buying guide Part 3: Educational Discounts

Friday, October 26th, 2007

Why pay full price for software?…the magic of Educational Discounts

I suppose there are many of you who don’t have any moral compunction about simply downloading copies of commercial software from bitTorrents or file sharing services. Those people might as well stop reading now. For those who actually feel like they should pay for their software, but who find the costs of the product they want a little overwhelming, I have a suggestion.

Take a class. I recently bought the Adobe Creative Suite 3 Master Collection, which includes the full versions of all of Adobe’s flagship software, including Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, Flash, Premiere, and After Effects. The Suite retails for $2,500. That was a little pricey for my sensibilities. On the other hand, I do like to be able to look myself in the mirror and not see a pirate, so I didn’t want to get a free, hacked copy of the software online. My solution came through my desire to learn how to play the guitar.

I enrolled some time ago at Santa Monica College, an accredited 2-year public community college. For three semesters now, I have been taking a 3-credit hour guitar class. The total cost of each semester for me is only about $80. The major bonus, I have discovered, is that SMC supplied me with a lovely student ID card with my name and photo on it, and a sticker on the back showing that it was current. With that card, I was able to visit an online software purveyor (in this case, Provantage Personal Computer Products had the best price among the reputable store listings) and order my software at the Educational Discount rate. I just needed to e-mail them a scanned image of my ID card to prove I qualified.

Adobe, probably in order to increase their corporate sales, gives massive discounts to student and teachers (or anyone with accredited educational credentials), hoping that the students will grow up to use (and demand) the same software packages in the workplace. Many other companies use the same strategy.

As a result, my Adobe CS3 Master Collection cost a whopping 3/5 less than the normal retail price. Spend $80 on a class to save $1,500 on software? Sounds like a good idea to me. There is no difference between the student discount version of the software and the regular price version. So for you artists out there who need Photoshop, but don’t want to steal it, maybe it’s time you went back to school. If you are currently in school, buy your software now.

Some shops I’ve used for the educational discount:
http://www.creationengine.com
http://www.provantage.com

For price comparisons:
http://shopper.cnet.com

And to make sure the shop you intend to buy from is on the up and up:
http://www.resellerratings.com

Tags: buying guide
Posted in Reviews and Recommendations | No Comments »

Recommendations for people who spend too much time online, Part 5: Podcasts

Friday, October 26th, 2007

Recommendation 5:
Podcasts

For those of you who have heard of them but haven’t yet figured out what they are, podcasts are basically the internet version of Tivo. Most podcasts I am familiar with are very similar to radio talk shows: a group of people just talk about something interesting for an hour or hour and a half. The thing that makes them podcasts is that you don’t have to tune in at the time the show is broadcast. Instead, you use a program like Apple’s iTunes to “subscribe” to the podcast. When you turn on your iTunes, it simply downloads the latest episode of the show, and you can listen to or watch it whenever you want.

I have three recommendations for Podcasts available through iTunes.

ONE
This Week in Tech with Leo Laporte

If you’re a technology geek, but you get tired of having to read the trades to keep up with the latest news and gadgets, this is the podcast for you. Every week, Leo Laporte and a panel of select technology journalists get together and just yap about whatever has happened in technology during the week. They’re up to date on the latest new devices that are getting buzz in the industry, as well as the legal, social, and political issues that come up in internet and technology circles. Best of all, they keep it funny. Recommended for all ages, but if you didn’t really care about the release of the iPhone, this probably isn’t the podcast for you.

TWO
Diggnation

The founder of Digg.com, Kevin Rose, and his goofy actor friend, Alex Albrecht, spend an hour each week discussing the most interesting stories that have appeared on Digg since the previous show. They do it while consuming a very large amount of alcohol (which was generally donated to the show by fans or sponsors). If you don’t know what Digg is, see my earlier (Oct. 20) post about it. Kevin and Alex manage to keep it pretty funny, although sometimes they’re just dumb and somewhat poorly informed. This is a good podcast for those of you who can plug your earphones into your computer at work and need something to keep you awake while you execute the daily mindless process your job requires. Be forewarned: these guys know some harsh language and aren’t afraid to use it.

THREE
Keith and the Girl

If you were offended by the language in Diggnation, you’ll think Keith and the girl are the anti-christ and his girlfriend. Keith Malley is a New York area comedian who, with his girlfriend Chemda Khalili, discuss news, events, and just the vicissitudes of their own lives. Keith’s parents are devout Christians, while Chemda’s family are a mix of Persians and Israelis. Neither set of parents has ever heard the incredibly raunchy podcast their children currently produce, and Keith and Chemda often discuss their need to keep it that way. The two tend to wax very direct as they discuss their sex lives, use of controlled substances, violent altercations (though not with each other), crappy day jobs, and often poorly informed opinions.

Most episodes have a guest-host, such as gossip queen Patrice, aging (and often drunken) rocker Brother Love, or advice guru Dina (who is actually just a hick from upstate New York).  Read more...

Posted in Entertainement, Reviews and Recommendations, Technology | No Comments »