Links from November 2008
- All (15)
- Entries (3)
- Links (12)
- Photos (0)
µTorrent Mac Beta
µTorrent, my absolute favorite torrent client when I was using Windows, recently released a beta for Macs. I’ve played around with it a bit so far, and I’m really impressed, though Transmission is still an awesome choice as well.
TextMate Productivity Tips
Some great TextMate power tips from Roger Johansson.
Apple Bends to Studios, Adds Copyright Protection to MacBooks
Apparently, Apple has added HDCP to the new MacBooks, making it impossible to play videos purchased from iTunes on unauthorized external displays. This is really disappointing, to say the least. Instead of spending time locking down their content, movie companies should be looking for new avenues of distribution, like sites similar to Hulu. Make it easy to legally watch content, and people will do it! Make it difficult to watch content you paid for, and people will pirate even more.
Defensive design: Magnetic zones on the unibody MacBook
Sam, of 37signals notices a great feature on the new MacBooks: when installing new RAM, there’s a magnet that catches any screws you might accidentally drop. Brilliant!
Five Physics Lessons for Obama
A great piece on facts regarding nuclear energy, alternative fuels, and several other topics. I’m not sure I agree with #4, that we shouldn’t be sending more humans into space, but I can certainly see where the author’s coming from. The nuclear energy section, however, is right on the money.
Red/Redshift Demo App
A 30-minute video of Red/Redshift, a “compiler” for Ruby to Javascript. Essentially, you write all of your AJAX, etc. in Ruby, and Red converts it to Javascript to you. I’m not sure how I feel about the extra step, but it’s definitely an intriguing idea, since it’s much nicer to write Ruby than JS.
The Rails Myths
A great series of posts by David Heinemeier Hansson, creator of Ruby on Rails, debunking some common Rails myths. A must read for anyone considering using Rails (or anyone that uses it already, for that matter).
Jade Ohlhauser Compares Versions and Cornerstone, Round 2
In July, Jade Ohlhauser compared Versions and Cornerstone, two OS X SVN clients, and he declared Versions the winner. Now, he revisited the two, and this time Cornerstone takes the prize. I’ve used Versions a bit myself, and while it’s pretty impressive, I still much prefer using TextMate’s built in SVN support and the command line. However, after reading this review, I’ll definitely have to try Cornerstone out.
Frustration-Free Packaging at Amazon
Amazon has released “frustration-free” packaging, which means that for certain products, you can get them in a standard cardboard box, rather than the hard-to-open plastic they’re usually in. Hopefully this will catch on, and more retailers will begin shipping their products this way. Check out their FAQ page for more info.
Hosting Git Repositiores, the Easy (and Secure) Way
Excellent tutorial on how to setup and host git repositories using Gitosis. I had this up and running on my Slicehost server in less than 15 minutes.
Using Gmail with IMAP to Receive Emails in Rails
An awesome walk-through of how to set up Rails to receive email from Gmail.
Opt-in For New Netflix Movie Player
Netflix finally released the ability to play “Watch Now” videos on Macs and Firefox. Just go to the opt in page to get started.