Here are 5 simple free desktop wallpapers featuring abstract art, created using photos from the Public Domain (PublicDomainPictures.net).
Archive for April, 2010
New Photo Set – Wildflowers from Rural Texas
29
Apr
Here’s a quick and dirty set taken on a rural texas property around Elgin. Enjoy, and feel free to use for any non-commercial purposes (commercial purposes explicitly forbidden unless permission given). The attempt to identity individual species will be ongoing, but contact me if you recognize anything!
HTML 5.0 – The shape of things to come
23
Apr
Even though it hasn’t even left the finishing room floor at the W3 organization, HTML 5.0 is shaping up to be a force to be reckoned with for interactivity on the web. The lines between operating system and web browser will be blurred, as the features and functions of each merge to the point of overlapping. HTML 5.0 will make it possible to drag files from your desktop to web-based SAAS (Software as a Service) installations, while taking social networking elements in whole new directions. Rich media will get the run of the land, so to speak, with fewer design limitations. Features you normally use an application for will grow increasingly web-based, and the UI possibilities for web designers are almost unimaginable. For the technically-inclined, HTML 5 will also provide much more seamless integration with APIs, with inherent scripting.
Features of HTML 5, a brief summary:
- drag and drop through standard markup (not using a library, like jQuery, or flash’s functionality)
- some deprecated tags will be removed, like the font tag and center tag (or others that can easily be done with CSS)
- breakages will be treated much more gracefully than the HTML 4.+ browsers
- the doctype will be much, much shorter (
<!DOCTYPE html>. That's it.) - HTML 5.0 aims to reduce the need for external embedded media, instead offering design options for inherently embedding items)
Some Extra Links
Great sources for Free royalty-free stock photos
15
Apr
If you’re a designer like me, you like to tinker.
When not working on a client’s site, and in between gaming sessions, i can often be found in the deep recesses of photoshop, conjuring up new works and abstract imagery. With that comes an almost ravenous appetite for new stock photos to work with. Here are just a few examples of great resources for free stock photography.
FREE GPU licensed and Royalty-Free stock photography :
1. Public Domain Pictures
http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/
With 5,742 Photos to date, this is a great resource for freebie stock photos, which can be used for both personal and commercial purposes. If you use an image, you’re encouraged to either buy the author a cup of coffee, or at the very least give thanks where it’s due.
2. Free Public Domain Images
http://www.pdimages.com/web6.htm
100+ Free stock photos. A lot of good reference, almost encyclopedic, images.
3. 5000 Free Stock Photos
http://www.public-domain-photos.com/
well, as the name implies, this 5000+ image stock photography resource is a great place to scour for random projects. These images may be used for both commercial and noncommercial projects,
4. Burning Well
http://www.burningwell.org/gallery2/main.php
I’ll admit i’m unsure of how many images are here, but it’s a great resource for stock photography, with an apparent interest in animals and wildlife. Some very beautiful images, and a lot of great collage fodder.
5. Teacher Tap : Public Domain Images
http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic98.htm
This one isn’t an image archive itself, but a well-stocked list of sources
6. Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain_image_resources
A fitting final entry, wikipedia offers a much more comprehensive list of stock image providers, that I honestly wish i would have stumbled on earlier in my search.
Introducing Austin Sustainable Enery LLC, a green tech company
12
Apr
Here’s a sneak peak at a small renewable energy engineering consulting company on the rise in Austin, TX.
Austin Sustainable Energy LLC is a two-man think-tank composed of Gene Bishop and Paul Roush, two long-time Austinites with more than 50 years of combined engineering experience.
From their website:
“Austin Sustainable Energy LLC is an engineering consulting and services company with a focus on renewable energy and green products, and we can provide you with the engineering skills and knowledge you need to get the job done–whether it is designing a simple residential solar photovoltaic system or providing program management for a complex energy storage system.”
Visit their website for your renewable energy engineering and consulting needs:
Homemade Sneezing Powder
12
Apr
Though I will admit this entry is fairly mundane, a remembrance of youthful days prompts me to share a recipe for childhood mayhem.
Materials needed:
1. Crushed red pepper
2. Sage
3. Spice grinder / Fine blender
Instructions:
1. Add both the crushed red pepper and sage to the blender, in the desired proportions. I think we used a 1:4 ratio of crushed red pepper to sage, but it’s been quite a few years.
2. blend until the mixture is so fine that the dust takes a while to settle inside the blender once it’s turned off.
3. You’ve now got a sneezing powder that will work on the majority of people.
DISCLAIMER:
I assume no responsibility for what you do with the sneezing powder. In some places, I suspect that would constitute a weapon, so please be respectful. This recipe is shared only for sentimentality’s sake. By making or attempting to make sneezing powder, you agree to the terms outlined in this disclaimer.
Preserving natural bone specimens with household acrylic sealant
01
Apr
As any curator or collector knows, the bodily oils and dirt accumulated from handling can quickly turn a good quality bone specimen into an ugly duckling, or worse, destroy delicate sections or tissue. If you intend on the bone or specimen being handled frequently, it is highly recommended that you seal it to prevent further corrosion and damage, generally by way of sealant.
These instructions assume you have thoroughly cleaned and removed any debris from the specimen before starting, as any remaining tissue may produce undesirable fissures or bubbles. If you have a dirty specimen, there’s a handy guide to cleaning and preparing skulls [PDF] from the university of arizona (but it works great for most bones and specimens)
Materials:
1. Transparent Acrylic Sealant. I recommend a glossy transparent sealant for skulls, and matte transparent sealant for turtle shells and other related specimens.Also make sure the acrylic sealant is completely transparent, as some sealants will have a milky consistency if applied to thickly.
2. Vinyl or Latex gloves (be careful with vinyl, since some of the solvents used in the the sprays are corrosive. Be sure to check the label if unsure.)
3. wax paper
4. a table or place to lay the specimen in a well ventilated area (I can’t emphasize the last part enough, as acrylic fumes are a suspected carcinogen, and they’ve got staying power)
Instructions:
1. Lay the wax paper out on the flat surface you’ll be spraying on, leaving at least 6″ of wax paper around each side of specimen.
2.Brush the specimen off one last time, and inspect for any loose dirt.
3. Once totally clean, place the specimen on the wax paper, centered.
4.With gloves on, spray one coat of the acrylic on the specimen, coating the entire visible area.
5. Let the first coat dry. As soon as it’s completely dr, flip the specimen over.
6. Repeat step 4 for the uncoated areas on the specimen.
7. Repeat steps 4-6 once to twice more, to ensure a good protective layer.
8. Let the last coat dry, and you should have an enviable specimen with a shiny new coat!