The FlashNett Blog

I seem to say this all the time!

2011-03-06T16:36:00.000-08:00

Okay okay, i seem to use this excuse over and over again.. But what the hell its true! I havent been blogging, making website changes or posting youtube videos in a while now, i have been really busy what with Work and stuff and everything else has come to a stand still. Im currently sat up thinking of new ideas for YouTube. Wish me luck.

iPad 2 Launch

2011-03-02T11:12:00.000-08:00

Well this was a big suprise! Apples new eagerly awaited piece of crap turned out to be a.. well.. pile of bigger crap than the last one it seems. All of this hype for "Now even thinner and HDMI output" Ohh great thanks Apple! Hardly HDMI output when you have to buy the accessories seperatly to be able to do so.

This is just turning into one of my rants isnt it? Apple just try something new for a change, quit with the constant updated versions of the stuff we already have and get your designers etc to make something worth while. Motorola XOOM and the Samsung Galaxy S tablet seem to have this one covered now, and leave your space in the market to the original iPad.

2011-02-23T14:06:00.001-08:00

background image CCR

2011-01-16T06:49:00.000-08:00

Watch Tv online for free

2011-01-09T05:16:00.000-08:00

Nearly at 25,000 Upload Views on YT

2011-01-02T09:34:00.000-08:00

Nearly at 25,000 upload views most of them coming from an old video of mine with NO editing knowledge ever. So thankyou to everyone who has subscribed, viewed, commented and rated!

FREE Software of the Year 2010 (Online and Desktop)

2010-12-24T11:54:00.000-08:00

These 5 masterpieces might not be the best ever but they have been chosen because they have helped me the most this year in one way or another, if i could put them all first i would.

Shotwell: Amazing viewer and good easy editing tool for images, really helped me will sorting through what pictures i wanted to keep and the organisation of it made it even easier. The negative side is that it crashes allot on Windows. 9/10 Download Here.

Grooveshark: Remember this name because it WILL be the hottest thing around in the coming years, its very similar to Spotify in the way you can legally stream music for free anywhere you like now they have the Android, iPhone and Web app. No need to download, just head over too www.grooveshark.com. The negative side is that you need a VIP account if you want music on the move stress free. 9/10

RockMelt: New browser anyone? One question, do you like Google Chrome? if yes then try this out, the team at RockMelt have built this simply amazing browser using the source code for Chrome. But this is bigger and in many ways better. It has built in Facebook and Twitter feeds which are displayed down the sides so there is NO reason to have them open in a tab. The negative side is that it is a little slower and more buggy than Chrome, obviously they will be sorted in future releases though. 8/10 Download Here.

Device Doctor: Device Doctor is a savior if windows messes about and deletes some drivers that you need especiall if the device is internal like a sound card on a laptop. All you do is open the software, scan system and download the advised packages. Negative side is that its time consuming and not that attractive. 8/10 Download Here.

SuperAnti Spyware: SuperAnti Spyware really does show how good Open Source and Free projects can be, after scanning with AVG i always think my system is safe but one day i opened SAS just for the fun of it and believe it or not it found a bad amount of threats on Windows. To be fair they werent major viruses but that is beside the point. Great back up software to any Anti virus program no matter what it is you have. The negative is it does look slightly outdated, really nothing bad though. 9/10 Download Here.

ShotWell Photo Manager Update

2010-12-24T04:11:00.000-08:00

You can now apparently upload your photos straight to YouTube and the program will make a slideshow for you! How awesome is that. I thought i would try Importing some of my photos from my laptop to my now favoured Ubuntu pc over the wireless network. Its worked well and gives you the option to copy all the photos over to the new machine or just create links, which means its taking up very little room on my pc but still there to view. Definately my most rated software of this year! There really needs to be a mobile version too.

Widgetbox

2010-12-24T04:05:00.001-08:00

I have been using Widgetbox now and then for years now but they recently seem to have gone all greedy on us, i just logged in to change the header on the mobile site and they seem to be charging now :( The site is still running with my basic account for now but how long before they shoot me an email asking for monies...

New Blog design

2010-12-22T07:27:00.000-08:00

Yup last night i changed my youtube background (again) and my blog background and logo,
it looks less busy and more welcoming. The pictographic 'O' Sets off the whole logo and makes the whole thing look less boring.
Hope you like it :)

Snowing

2010-12-22T07:25:00.000-08:00

Yeah its snowing and i love it! Who would have put odds on a white Christmas after the snow we had earlier in the year, who ever did will be rich this Christmas time. But i am slightly shoved off about the snow (well not the snow.. ROYAL F*****G MAIL) Those halfwits who complain about every weather condition and demand strikes because of it need to be strung up and shot "Eww its Snowing, Eww its raining, Eww its too hot.." Grow the hell up and do your job...

Today i interviewed a Royal Mail worker, well okay i didnt but im pretty sure this is what he would say!
Me: Why cant i have my presents i ordered from Amazon over 17 days ago?!
Him: Eww i cant get my van through that, its slippy.
Me: Well get a better van or better still... WALK! You were born with legs god damn it.

Actually had enough now
image from http://www.osney.org

Having a laugh in the Snow

2010-12-21T13:33:00.000-08:00

Shotwell Photo Manager

2010-12-21T13:30:00.000-08:00

Shotwell is a new piece of kit i found built in with the newest edition of Ubuntu, it gathers all your photos from your computer and VERY cleverly sorts them into dates and certain, easy to understand directories all compiled into a nice viewer which lets you preview images and edit them!
Of course the best thing is.. ITS FREE!!! Yes Open Source has bitten commercial software in the butt again, Big time. Its developed by Yorba and really is the software to show off on any computer, its available for Linux and Windows machines here.

image from: http://chrisdenbow.com/

Ubuntu 10.10

2010-12-21T13:19:00.000-08:00

Lucky Tens all round, so here i am with my old computer just sat in the corner gathering dust. Yeah its not the best thing in the world with 256MB Ram and 80GB hard drive but what the hell, that can run any Linux distro with ease! So what do i pick? My usual of course.. Ubuntu, but not just Ubuntu. I installed 10.10, the safest most powerful and nicest looking Ubuntu to date.

Linux Gaming

2010-12-07T00:14:00.001-08:00

There needs to be an Open Source games console launched by someone. Running VLC Media player and other cool stuff, something that hackers would have no need to hack. A games marketplace with games made by us, the community. A Homebrew world inside a homebrew box, why hasn't it been done yet??!

Black Ops

2010-12-01T00:29:00.000-08:00

Recently i have been doing college work, playing football once a week and relaxing on the Xbox. But i want to start blogging again, so why not combine? Hopefully im going to start making tutorials on how to make awesome Emblems and logos on Call of Duty Black Ops, whether they will be written or video is something else i need to decide on.

New Background

2010-10-30T04:13:00.000-07:00

I'm back again

2010-10-29T15:56:00.001-07:00

Just because i haven't blogged in a while doesn't mean I'm not working, incase you havent noticed the new 2011 site is live. Its taken nearly 3months of development and I'm finally happy, it may be down soon due to html i need to add.

Xbox Faceplate

2010-09-27T09:15:00.000-07:00

New coat of white paint and FlashNett decorations!

Browsers

2010-09-20T08:23:00.000-07:00

Okay so your running the Mac OS X operating system and your not getting on with Safari for some reason, for example the interface or speed. Well you could always use Chrome or Firefox these days but they are very unApple if im honest, you still want something to say "Hey im a Mac user and proud of it" well you can!
Mozilla (the people who power Firefox) have distributed a browser made specially for Mac, which does all of the above. Its quick, Powerful and customizable much like Firefox but you keep the look and feel of your OSX platform. The project is called Camino and this is stated on their website "Built from the ground up exclusively for Mac OS X, Camino is designed to make your browsing experience better. With features like annoyance blocking, tab overview, and phishing and malware detection, Camino keeps you browsing safer and faster on the Web."
It really is something to look into and possibly download, which you can do here.

Logon Screens

2010-09-12T11:08:00.000-07:00

Getting bored of the same old stuff on your Windows machine, well i have made a logon screen for you to download, it matches this wallpaper i made earlier. To download and use this file you must have TuneUp Utilities installed to recognise and manage the .tls file. You can download the free trial or buy the software here.
Now finally, here is the file you have been reading about. Please enjoy!
DOWNLOAD HERE

New Wallpaper

2010-09-12T08:21:00.000-07:00

CD Case Design

2010-09-12T08:10:00.000-07:00

In a nutshell.

2010-09-09T11:30:00.001-07:00

College trip

2010-09-08T11:32:00.000-07:00

At 7:25 i caught the bus to college as normal but only to catch the 9 O'clock train to Oxford. On the trip we would be visiting Oxford University Press and The Ashmolean museum, including a walk around the covered market taking photos of interesting letter forms and fonts, whether computer designed or hand drawn. Here are a couple of photos i took,

So here it is.

2010-09-03T10:01:00.001-07:00

So here it is! The time when i start designing and thinking of new ideas for the new year update of the website which should be launched bug free by February. Hopefully i can get some exciting features and new code in this time to send 2011 off with a bang and to celebrate my first edition of the site at College. Colour schemes will stay the same but the look will change as it has in the previous versions.

Apple Conference

2010-09-03T07:53:00.000-07:00

Yes the new iPod models have been announced and look completely and utterly pointless in my view, the shuffle is the same as any other shuffle, the Nano looks like a touch screen shuffle with things removed from the last model and the new Touch has pants technology put in, that nobody will ever ever use. Well done Apple, you have just well and truely screwed yourself over! Lets hope this Android Samsung tablet can wow some people and drown the iPad as well.

image from www.ecoustics.com

Ovi App Wizard

2010-09-02T01:54:00.000-07:00

OVI App Wizard is a newish product available from Nokia in their attempt to boost the number of Apps in their store, its really easy to use and doesnt take much brains at all.

So what is it?

OVI App Wizard or OAW as im going to call it is an online tool to help your blog reach a wider audience, just by signing up, making a few banners and clicking a few buttons your site will be ready to view on most Nokia devices and available from their Marketplace. You can choose from a free or paid option if i remember correctly and everything is customisable. Try it yourself here or even download my blog (FlashNett) from there.
Image from http://blog.ovi.com/

Enrolment

2010-09-02T01:44:00.000-07:00

So here it is, my first proper visit to the college as one of their students. My enrolment will include meeting my new tutor and signing the documents needed to start properly on Monday and of course getting a photograph ready for my student card.
Im looking forward to starting fresh at a new place of work but still worried about finance towards my bus, hopefully EMA can help out a bit towards that though.

Device Doctor

2010-09-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

After fixing a family computer the other week i was confronted with the issue of no sound, i immediately knew this would be a driver issue as i was working on a Gateway laptop with speakers built in. I tried updating and reinstalling the drivers using the windows way in the control panel but no luck. So i started looking for a free Driver manager software, i remember using the UniBlue Driver package before but that is a paid package although its the best out there.
After a search i found DeviceDoctor which searches all of your equipment and accessories for driver updates or malfunctions, once it has searched it provides you with the option to download and install the drivers from their website. Its really is quick and easy! You can download it here, its worth a go if your having troubles with anything such as sound, bluetooth and wifi.

Image from http://www.devicedoctor.com/

Android

2010-09-01T10:36:00.000-07:00

So for a long time iv wanted an Android device even after buying an iPod Touch to play around with until my contract renewal came round, but now its here. I have renewed my contract with Orange and im now the proud owner of an LG Optimus (GT540). I got used to the interface rather quickly although the Multitouch option isnt available on the version Optimus runs. The firmware that i got out of the box is Android 1.6 which i THINK off the top of my mind was 'Doh-nut'.

I want to make a video with various speed tests between the two different OS'. Im pretty sure my iPod has better specs than the LG but we will have to wait and see.
image from http://www.lg.com/

Top free software

2010-09-01T09:24:00.000-07:00

TWEETDECK
Social networking from your desktop and posting to both twitter and facebook in one click of the mouse. Yes you can do this, by using a brilliant tool called 'Tweetdeck' which you may have heard of on other platforms such as the iPhone. You can now manage many online social networking sites with it, they state on their website that "TweetDeck is your personal real-time browser, connecting you with your contacts across Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Foursquare, Google Buzz and more."
and another great thing about tweetdeck is nobody goes hungry, its available for Windows, Mac and Linux! You can get more information or download it here.

OFFICE SUITE
Open Office is the one and only close competitor at the moment to put some pressure on Microsoft Office, not just because of the pricing but because of the interface and updates as well. I probally go on and on about how open source software is much consumer friendly and update friendly compared to commercialised software but its true. Open Office gives you no need to spend £100+ on something that is equally as good unless you are some kind of Microsoft fan boy. You can download this fantastic piece of software here.

GRAPHICS
I can combine this catergory into two pieces of software available from my download archive under 'Open CS1' firstly GIMP! GIMP uses exactly the same kind of interface and power that Adobe Photoshop has but again is much much cheaper. Yes it might be a bit harder to use on windows or mac but everything is still there to use.
The other software im going to mention is Inkscape, this program is so close to Adobe Illustrator its unbelievable and it really is amazing to have seen just how much its come along within the past two or three years. With these two programs you dont have a need to have a memory hog like Adobe anywhere on your system (although i still use Photoshop over GIMP for my education). You can download GIMP here or INKSCAPE here.

MEDIA
Again im going to compact two programs into this section of the article, one being Songbird which i have created a post about a few months about now, this program uses the look and compatibility of iTunes but has a much much cooler feel to it, in the way you arent affraid to say "Yeah this is my music program and yeah the logo is an ickle wickle bird listening to music through a pair of DJ Headphones" Its fantastic in the way it deals with your music library, it doesnt mess it about or move it around plus it has iPhone/iPod support.
My second program has to be VLC Player because its really light weight and can play literally any video you throw at it. Any file type, any size, any resolution it will play it. Plus the developers are a great bit of fun, they do festive updates with the little cone icon wearing a christmas for example. You can download Songbird here or VLC Media player here.

Im back!

2010-09-01T08:55:00.000-07:00

After a long break over the summer to get college and my family holidays out of the way im back, i havent posted in a good three weeks and i need to do some catching up.

For college i have been researching a Graphic Designer called Saul Bass, who was American born and is also a famous film maker. I also realised that we also share the same birth date.
Saul Bass has made some really big name logos in the modern world, ones that look almost too simple, which has inspired me to make some more simple designs which i will be aiming to do in the coming days.

Jelly Baby Stop Motion

2010-07-25T08:15:00.000-07:00

Making Themes

2010-07-16T08:23:00.000-07:00

Im currently partnering up with my friend at GFXPortfolio to produce a few iPhone themes which will hopefully be available to download via our own repository within a few days. We want to spend every minute we get perfecting the themes before we launch them properly. We will keep you updated on where and when they will be released.

My iPhone theme

2010-07-15T12:19:00.000-07:00

This is my first attempt at an iPhone theme, i went for a cartoon effect. It doesnt look as good as i thought but at least it worked.

Tools i used:
Adobe Photoshop CS4
Google Chrome
iFunBox
WinterBoard

Changelog page

2010-07-15T04:09:00.000-07:00

After a while i managed to collect as much data possible to make a changelog page, which i will continue to update as new things are added to the main site and blog.
You can visit the changlelog page by clicking the link in the sidebar or you can click here.

Legal Broadcasting

2010-07-08T03:27:00.000-07:00

These days you never have to miss a show again! With the help of two websites which act as your live television and your video/dvd recorder in case you missed the program you wanted to see. To watch live digital television from all major UK channels for free just head over too TVCatchup.com and create your membership.
Ohh dear you find out you have missed what you wanted too see after going to TVCatchup, what can you do now... How about navigating over to SeeSaw.com and searching your desired program.
You will never miss a tv program again.

TVCatchup also has the ability to be viewed via iPhone/iPod Touch/ iPad and Android devices.

Another wallpaper from my good friend!

2010-07-07T09:03:00.000-07:00

By Jake Godfrey.

Facebook Preview

2010-07-02T04:41:00.001-07:00

DVD Flick menus

2010-06-30T06:25:00.000-07:00

Introduction: "DVD Flick aims to be a simple but at the same time powerful DVD Authoring tool. It can take a number of video files stored on your computer and turn them into a DVD that will play back on your DVD player, Media Center or Home Cinema Set. You can add additional custom audio tracks, subtitles as well as a menu for easier navigation." from http://www.dvdflick.net/.

With DVDFlick you get 6 built in DVD menus, all of which are really basic and aren't very good for professional looking DVD's but with an Image Manipulation software such as Photoshop, GIMP or even Paint you can make your very own menu, i will show you how in a few easy steps.
DVDFlick is only available for windows, so all screen shots will be from Windows Vista.

1. finding the folder containing the templates. Go to 'My Computer> C:\\> Program Files> DVD Flick> Templates. You will now find 6 folders presented similarly to this.

2. You will need a simple template to follow so it doesnt get too complicated so copy and paste 'Simple White' to your desktop, this makes it easier to keep track of the files until its finished. Now open the folder you copied over to your desktop and open the file named 'Back' in your Image editing program, I will be using Photoshop CS4.

3. The fun part is now making the background looking how you want it too. Im going to base mine on my website. After a few minutes i have my final result...

Now simply go to file and save it over the original 'MAKE SURE YOU SAVE IT AS A BITMAP (BMP) FILE'. Now open the 'Back Main' file and select/delete all the white areas. Leaving the two icons, on a separate layer copy over the same image as your background and add anything else in you want. Like this...

again make sure you have saved your work over the duplicate file as a Bitmap file. Now for the example image that shows up whilst inside the program just use the same image you just made. Go to file> Save as. This time save it over the file called example.bmp.

4. Naming the file: Inside the file you have changed there will be something called 'template.cfg'. Double click and browse for a program to open it with, this time you will need 'Notepad'. Near the top of the page will be a 'Name' and 'Author', just change the text to whatever you like and again save over the original file.

This is the last of the editing, back out of the file and change its name from 'Simple white' too the name you placed in the 'cfg' file.

5. Drag and drop the whole folder into the DVDFlick templates folder we opened way back in step 1. Now you just need to open the program 'DVDFlick and your template will appear.

iOS 4.0

2010-06-25T09:31:00.000-07:00

Im an owner of an iPod Touch 2G and i love it, iv never been a fan of Apples work although all of their stuff looks so modern and huggable. As everyone eagerly awaited iOS 4.0 for iPhone and iPod touch why didnt we think the things they were offering are too good to be true? I mean 'Home screen wallpapers' and 'MultiTasking' are the things only Jailbreakers had before. But after an hour of downloading and setting up the new firmware i read that Apple werent allowing both 'MultiTasking' or 'Home screen wallpapers' on the iPod touch. I knew it, Apple always have to restrict you.. What is this? Is it supposed to make me want an iPhone... Well im not getting one, i want an Android phone because i have more freedom. When a jailbreak comes out for MC models of the iPod Touch 2G maybe i will actually get the things i was promised of Apple.

Affiliate icon

2010-06-24T10:49:00.000-07:00

Exams are over

2010-06-24T03:29:00.000-07:00

Thats it, all 15 of my exams are over and i can look forward to the longest summer holiday i will ever have. 3 Months of going out, gaming and Blogging.

Background test with CSS

2010-06-22T09:21:00.001-07:00

New Header

2010-06-21T10:56:00.000-07:00

I have made another new header image to go with the new Blog design, this time i have simply made the logo smaller, added the main web directory into it and a few brushes to make it look more active. Hope you like it!

2010-06-19T14:26:00.000-07:00

This phone wallpaper was made by one of my best friends, Jake Godfrey in support of England at this summers world cup in South Africa.

Currently collecting information

2010-06-16T07:46:00.000-07:00

Im currently collecting information about me for my summer college project. If i dont blog for a while then you know why, i will try as hard as i can to find time.

Battle of the browser

2010-06-10T09:42:00.000-07:00

For a long time now i have used different browsers for different things, But to be quite honest i never use internet explorer. I think there are more user friendly, computer friendly and generally better browsers available these days, Including the likes of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera Browser and Safari. So which is better? Lets find out...

1. Logo's
obviously the most recognized browser logo will be internet explorer as it has to be installed on every Windows based machine. But just because its there to look at it doesnt mean its the best. My personal opinion on the best logo would be Firefox, it clearly shows that the software is for the WORLD wide web as the image of the world explains, But then obviously it wouldnt be the software it is today without having the fox in the logo as well. In close second i really like the simplicity of the Safari logo, just a compass with an image of the world inside if you look close enough. Chrome has a nice logo and is obviously going to have a Google colour scheme so it works pretty well although its not very identifiable as a web browser icon. Last but not least we have the Opera browser, which is the most simple logo of any browser, a red 'O' which really isnt that attractive.

2. Usage and techy stuff
Google Chrome: I use this browser the most from the list we are looking at, simply because its super quick, Light weight and was over the moon when they announced themes and addon's for it. Unlike other browsers there is only the one search bar which has google search built in. There is also a very hand incognito button which hides your search history. The browser very rarely crashes and is fantastic for loading flash and Youtube videos.
Looks: 10/10
Speed: 9/10
Compatibility: 8/10
Support: 9/10
Users: 7/10
My rating: 9/10

Mozilla Firefox: Is the browser i use when Chrome cannot support something or wont load a page. The main reason people use Firefox is because its open-source and can be customized however you like it. New themes can be downloaded or even made from your favourite images. There is also a great load of Addon's you can download that run to suit your machine. Firefox is also the pre installed web browser for Ubuntu and many other Linux distributions. Its very quick but not quite as quick as Chrome and doesnt have as good loading method. Its literally a browser that supports everything you could imagine. Totally worth a download.
Looks: 9/10 (can be customized)
Speed: 8/10
Compatibility: 10/10
Support: 7/10 (open source, no warranty)
Users: 9/10
My rating: 9/10

Safari: Its very rare i use this browser but it really is great, its good looking just like any other Apple software available and is fairly fast at booting up, not quite as fast at loading pages properly though. I seem to prefer it to Internet Explorer for many reasons and i love the download manager but it really is just an Apple version of IE. It has a good layout and is easy to use, again this web browser comes pre installed with Apple computers. Worth giving a go but i would rather you downloaded Firefox or Chrome.
Looks: 9/10
Speed: 6/10
Compatibility: 8/10
Support: 10/10
Users: 9/10
My rating: 7/10

Opera Browser: Its come along allot over the last few years and they have also been concentrating on mobile web browsers. They have already produced software for the iPhone which i was suprised Apple had let through to the store. But the desktop version really is a special program, Its just like any other browser until you hit the turbo button (There actually is a turbo button) This processes the page you are looking at and condenses it to a smaller file, therefore displying quicker on your monitor. This is fantastic for slower internet speeds although pictures arent shown at full quality in this setting. Its really worth giving a go because the company behind it are also fantastic people to ask for support.
Looks: 8/10
Speed 10/10
Compatibility: 8/10
Support: 10/10
Users: 4/10
My rating: 8/10

Internet Explorer: Last and most certainly least!! I dont know why Microsoft bother making updates for this anymore. Its got way to slow, way to in secure and it simply gets over crowded with search bars and tools way to easily, Within months you will need to scroll down 30cm to actually see a page content. On a good note there will always be support, knowledge and it will be the first browser to be compatible with other software on your computer. only worth having with Windows though.
Looks: 6/10
Speed: 7/10
Compatibility: 10/10
Support: 10/10
Users: 9/10
My Rating: 6/10

iPhone OS

2010-06-10T04:36:00.000-07:00

With the newest build of the iPhone OS now renamed 'iOS4' i thought i would make a post about what my view is on the little handhelds. I own a second generation iPod touch running iOS 3.1.3, I brought it at around Christmas just gone and iv been so happy with it. Its saved my blogging and networking life when my laptop decided to say good bye and went to be fixed.

I was able to quickly and easily view my Twitter, Facebook, Instant message people and even continue Blogging. But only recently have i found that after using 4 of my 8GB memory applications decide to crash, lag and in some cases not even boot. With only 352 tracks on there i didnt know why it wasnt coping! Its not even jailbroken..

iOS just seems so unstable on these devices its unbelievable! Just this morning i was listening to some music through some headphones whilst looking at one of my favourite sites and my iPod crashed completely, this time taking around 3 Minutes to boot back up. By the time i had got it back on my computer had fully started and was listening to the same tunes and looking at the same website.

The conclusion to this is, having one of these devices is brilliant for when you need to check something quick or you are out and about, otherwise i will be sticking to the laptop.

Ubuntu wallpaper.

2010-06-02T11:17:00.000-07:00

Because i love it :)

JoliCloud

2010-06-02T07:51:00.000-07:00

I really didnt like the setup and navigation with Jolicloud, everything seemed too big and closed in. It really didnt have that Linux feel, They claim that its one of the quickest Operating Systems around for netbooks which means it should run super quick on my Laptop, It didnt! It was three times slower than the latest Ubuntu release (10.04) and is hated by many for the new cloud computing ideas, to me it sounds a little in secure. JoliCloud may be worth trying if your a basic computer user that is maybe limited on money or willing to try new things although there is an Ubuntu Netbook remix, i would love to see how quick that is!

Installing JoliCloud in VirtualBox

2010-06-01T06:03:00.000-07:00

JoliCloud is a new netbook operating system again running on Linux turf. It looks shiny, sleek and basic to use but is really light because its a new stepping stone to cloud computing. I have heard good things from this new OS and i will post what its like when its fully installed.

Read more about it here.

Ubuntu running well

2010-06-01T05:39:00.000-07:00

After using Wubi to install Ubuntu and run it from a folder inside windows i assumed that maybe after booting into Ubuntu it would need to power Windows as well. Thats not the case, you simply turn the power on and select ubuntu from the boot loader. Its loads up within seconds without disturbing your Windows environment, so far i havent had any problems with it, its fantastic! I have actually been using Ubuntu more than my main partition lately, i just find it quicker than any other OS available although its slightly less stable than Windows.

I will make a video soon from Ubuntu showing a little tour and maybe trying to convince you to swap to Open Source programming.

Wubi Wubi Wooo

2010-05-19T15:46:00.001-07:00

No it's better than the mystery gang! Wubi is a windows application that allows you to dual boot Windows and Ubuntu with no knowledge what so ever. No partitioning or discs needed! Just download the Wubi file and run it, choose your memory device from the list, choose how much space you want to give ubuntu (anything higher than 4GB) and the rest is optional. Click next and your done, the operating system will start installing. If you already have a boot ISO then just place it in the same folder as Wubi, this will make the installation quicker. Reboot when prompted and follow the setup on the Ubuntu screen.

If at any time you feel uncomfortable with Ubuntu on your computer just log into your windows account and go to 'control panel> add/ remove programs> ubuntu' and it will remove the entire OS at the click of a button.

A small warning is that you should always try and make a restore point before installing important software incasee something were to go wrong!! I will make sure I make a video on making restore points at some point soon.

Songbird

2010-05-18T10:40:00.000-07:00

Running a Linux distribution or like open-source software? Well if your running Ubuntu or something of the sort and own an iPhone/iPod you will understand how hard it is to transfer music to them without iTunes! Not anymore, there is a piece of software which i have had for a long while on my Ubuntu partition. Its called Songbird and its one of the best media players i have seen, the themes are customizable and there are tonnes of addons. You can even browse the web whilst in your music library. It has built in music stores via 7Digital, Last.fm and Amazon Music. It really is brilliant and it looks just like iTunes! The only real problem with it is the start up speed.
Download it here.

Photography

2010-05-03T05:39:00.000-07:00

If you are interested in photography and photo editing then take a look at the pictures I have done in my previous post or view them better on my deviant art profile.
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Preparing for my art exam during the week! My topic is work, rest and play. I have chosen to look into modern gaming at Avatars and Mii's. I have recently studied an artist called 'Invader' who does street art based around space invaders, PAC MAN and rubiks cubes. For my final project I am hoping to make an Avatar from pieces of technology like curcuit boards from playstations etc, when I am finished I will be blogging more :)

Weymouth holiday edits

2010-05-02T09:07:00.000-07:00

Work

2010-05-01T03:03:00.001-07:00

Sat at work, on my own this week... Just Reading the newspaper and then I have this weeks Computer Active to read :D can't believe it's gone up in price again though :/
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I'm also sorry that I haven't made any blog posts recently! I have been busy with GCSE exams (german speaking) but I promise it will be blogging galore next week :)

Burning an ISO image

2010-04-26T08:36:00.000-07:00

In this tutorial i will be showing how to burn an ISO file to a disc, using a program called InfraRecorder (http://infrarecorder.org).

An ISO file is the extension given to files that can boot straight from a disc, such as Operating Systems and Games.
This example is burning an AVG Rescue software to a blank disc.

Office and Spreadsheet Software

2010-04-22T13:46:00.000-07:00

Microsoft Office 2010 is in Beta right now and available to buy at around October time, but you can get it now! for free! Microsoft are letting people trial it for issues and bugs. So far i haven't really found any bugs and its brilliant. The only problem is that the Beta trial ends when the product is released.

Need this software now with no problems? Then buy Microsoft Office 2007 now, its not that expensive anymore. But if your looking for something a little cheaper you could get OpenOffice which is a free Open Source alternative. Its lightweight, powerful and can do anything Office 2007 can do, not to mention the updates always include great new features.

Microsoft Office 2010: 9/10 (http://www.microsoft.com/office/2010/en/default.aspx)
Microsoft Office 2007: 7/10 (http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/default.aspx)
OpenOffice: 7/10 (http://www.openoffice.org/)

Computer Fixes, Tips & Tricks

2010-04-22T13:28:00.000-07:00

DropBox

2010-04-19T02:09:00.000-07:00

DropBox is a service that acts as an online storage device so that you can access your files on the go with ease, from your mac, pc, linux or iPhone device. I have had this software for some time now and its really saved me few times. Watch the video below for more detail, and download it from here.

Yahoo Answers UK

2010-04-17T08:55:00.001-07:00

This is my profile :)

HERE

VirtualBox

2010-04-08T05:49:00.000-07:00

Not sure whether a piece of software is riddled with viruses, virus scanner coming back with no results? Then download VirtualBox! VirtualBox is an emulation software to run an operating system in the background of your normal PC. For example you might want to give Ubuntu a try but not install it permanatly install it on VirtualBox and have it with you wherever you go. Its simple, just put in the 'operating system installation disk' and 'create new' in VirtualBox and your off and running. Plus its free! So your not losing out on a thing.
Download it here.

Ubuntu 10.04

2010-04-08T05:17:00.001-07:00

21 days until the launch of Ubuntu 10.04, its currently available to download in BETA so there could be a few bugs and its also not yet recommended for use within business bur its looking great and Free as always. Cant wait to download the full version at the end of this month.

Anti-Virus software

2010-04-07T13:50:00.000-07:00

There are many different types of Anti-Virus but the question is do you want to pay? If so then there are a few pieces of software available from people such as Kaspersky and Norton. But there are two main software developers that offer a free anti virus software with no limits or trials. A couple of these are Avast and AVG anti virus.

You can download AVG free here
or Avast here

They are both fantastic pieces of software and are just as good as paid Anti virus software. i would rate them both at about 9/10 overall.

Want to keep your Windows PC running with Microsoft Software? Well they have produced 'Microsoft Security Essentials' which is a free product with Antivirus, Anti malware and Automatic updates! You can get this here.

Other worth while security systems: A-Squared,

Malwarebytes can be downloaded to run along side your anti virus, it gives you complete security against malware. Or there are even more options, run these two applications side by side and you should be well covered, Security 360 and Comodo Internet Security.

CCleaner otherwise known as 'CrapCleaner' is a good little tool that takes care of your registry. Your computer registry is the system that keeps all the information attatched and linked together. By using this software it deletes the keys from the registry that are no longer needed, this makes boot time quicker and your system faster. Get it here.

<< This is my laptop security layout.

Which Operating system is best for me?

2010-04-07T13:42:00.001-07:00

Which Operating system is best for me?... Well this all depends upon how much you want to pay and what you want to do. There are three main types of operating system, Windows, OS X and Linux.

Windows
Windows have just brought out 'Windows 7' which is a smaller, better looking and more powerful than the previous versions 'Vista', 'XP' etc. But as its new unless you get it with a computer its going to cost you over £180 not including software such as Microsoft Office and other addons. You can run Windows on pretty much any computer available including Apple computers.

OS X
This is Apples operating system that runs only on Apple machines. Unless you grabbed a hacked version from the internet it is impossible to boot OS X on a normal laptop. There isnt as much software available and things generally cost more including the computers. A brand new Apple computer is £510 at least, pricing up to over £12000. Another good thing is that they cant get viruses.

Linux
There are many, many different distributions of Linux including Ubuntu, Debian and Kubuntu. Kubuntu is more user friendly if your used to Windows but my personal recommendation is to use Ubuntu, its simple to use, quick and good looking. But that isnt the best thing about Linux, the best thing is that its all FREE. The operating system is free and all the software is free. An added bonus is that there arent any viruses around that infect Linux computers.

Delete, Disable or Update drivers

2010-04-07T12:38:00.000-07:00

This tutorial explains how to delete or update your driver software. Drivers are the pieces of information which need to be on the computer for external devices such as Mice, Keyboards and Speakers to work.
maybe these drivers malfunction or need updating, and this is how to do so.

Changing the default Vista power button

2010-04-07T12:25:00.000-07:00

This tutorial explains how to change the power button from sending your computer into sleep mode, which is set as default in factory settings.

iPhone Wallpaper

2010-04-07T03:30:00.000-07:00

A quick iPhone wallpaper i made not sure whether the home screen clock will overlap. If so then i will re make it later on.

Domain Update

2010-04-06T16:36:00.001-07:00

Thank god the domain is working well at long last, have coded some new html for the iphone site and social networking thumbnails.

Preview Thumbnail for Facebook etc.

2010-04-06T14:28:00.000-07:00

Domain

2010-04-03T15:42:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow my domain will be finished :) I hope!!!

-- Post From My iPhone

Name change

2010-04-03T02:48:00.001-07:00

Due to a domain name I am changing our name to flashnett :) my domain will be up and running tonight.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

AVG save the day.. and your files!

2010-03-29T12:10:00.000-07:00

Avg have launched a free piece of software to help yet again with vicious virus attacks. Download their amazing Rescue CD from here and burn it to a CD using an image burning application such as InfraRecorder. Your computer just wont get past the BIOS no matter what you try, youve been attacked by a virus, all your files gone. NO, thats not true. Boot from this disc and rescue all your important files without any fuss.
Rating: 9/10

Adobe Creative Suite 5?!

2010-03-29T11:19:00.000-07:00

Adobe Creative Suite 5 is on its way but is going to cost a kidney to have installed on your computer, unless of course you wait for a pirate version to stage. If you are a person who likes to keep things legitimate then this list will be for you. It includes a variety of Freeware and Open Source projects that all do the same things as the Creative Suite except they are all free.
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1. Adobe Acrobat Reader= Sumatra PDF
Sumatra PDF is a lightweight yet powerful tool that you can use free of charge, it does everything that the Adobe version can do another addition is that you can use them on a variety of windows machines. No Linux though which is odd.
http://blog.kowalczyk.info/software/sumatrapdf/index.html
Rating: 6/10

2. Adobe Acrobat= PDFill
PDFill is a really amazing piece of software, its not just a reader but you can convert PDF to a variety of other file formats such as .JPEG and .PNG so they are readable as ebooks on many devices such as the Nintendo DS (a tutorial can be found on my youtube channel Binnsyboy123). PDFill is light and has a steady ram intake compared to its competition.
http://www.pdfill.com/
Rating: 8/10

3. Adobe Photoshop= Gimp
Gimp is one of the most impressive pieces of software in this list, everything about it is just perfect. The developers/ community are superb making updates feel worth while. PSD file support from photoshop can be opened and edited in Gimp and i think that the icon is brilliant, you MUST download it now!
http://www.gimp.org/
Rating: 10/10

4. Adobe Dreamweaver= Seamonkey
Seamonkey is an average size application but its nothing compared to Dreamweaver, as well as being easy to use and navigate its fool proof. Anybody could make their own website with it with hardly any coding knowledge. Although i did find that you could do much much more with Adobe's version but you are better off with seamonkey if your only after basics. Not forgetting the icon kicks adobe out the back door.
http://www.seamonkey-project.org/
Rating: 6/10

5. Adobe Flash= Synfig
This application really is spot on, it may not look like a modern program but the things you can do with it goes to Flash CS4 and beyond. Adobe's version seems to be easier to navigate due to the modern look but i swear they will need to do allot in CS5 to destroy this small project completely. Its simply amazing!
http://synfig.org/
Rating: 9/10

6. Adobe Illustrator= Inkscape
Inkscape is probally one of the most well known projects in this list, thats because its one of the best. The sleek, modern, good looks adds a proffessional feel and seems like your working on a £2000 piece of kit. The icon looks the same way, inside the software is a similar story it can do pretty much everything Illustrator can and of course its own little unique things. Do yourself a favour and get it quick!!
http://www.inkscape.org/
Rating: 10*/10

7. Adobe InDesign= Scribus
Scribus is a must have publishing tool the reasons are that its so light and similar to the Creative Suite that its unbelievable. The look has a slightly old pattern but a sparkly new icon/ button set. I love everything about this program although it could run a bit faster.
http://www.scribus.net/
Rating: 7/10

8. Adobe After Effects= CineFX
CineFX used to be called Jahshaka and now belongs to a family of programmes that all link together. You can edit flash videos simply and quickly with this good looking curvy software. The brothers of this programme are called CineCode which is a video>Flash converter and CinePlay which is a nice, fast offline video player. A must have for a keen youtube video watcher or movie maker. Another great thing is that it can handle HD with no problems at all.
http://www.cinefx.org/
Rating: 7/10

9. Adobe Premier Pro= Virtual Dub
Okay maybe it will be hard to make a free application exactly like Premier Pro, but i have found the closest thing. Its called Virtual Dub, its packed with loads of different features such as video/ sound compression. There are also tonnes of filters like rotating and blurring. Its brilliant for little videos but i wouldnt recommend making your next hollywood blockbuster with it.
http://www.virtualdub.org/
Rating: 5/10

10. Adobe Encore DVD= DVD Flick
DVD Flick is one of the easiest to use programs i have ever used, Its simple drag 'n' drop, tick and cross procedures. A bar down the left hand side determines the amount of space left on the disc. There are default menus but you can create your own very easily. It converts any video format you can imagine to a dvd file and then burns to a disc afterwards using built in imgburn. There is even a little game to play whilst your waiting. I dont know what i would do without it, its simply amazing!!
http://www.dvdflick.net/
Rating: 10*/10

11. Adobe Soundbooth= Audacity
Audacity seems to have been around forever and its fantastic for drag and drop clippings of sound. If your making a dubstep or a podcast then this is for you. Crop bits you dont want filter pieces to make it more interesting, then export it as an MP3 ready for youtube or your mp3 player.
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Rating: 8/10

Thanks for reading the list, remember whatever software you need there is always a cheaper alternative that is just as good. My favourites fro this list have to be Gimp, Inkscape and Dvd Flick.

IM GOING TO BE CREATING MY VERY OWN CREATIVE SUITE WITH ALL THE SOFTWARE ABOVE IN ONE PACKAGE SO DOWNLOAD IT FROM MY ARCHIVE HERE. IM NAMING THE SUITE 'OPEN CS1'

Hey

2010-03-25T16:54:00.000-07:00

I'm back after quite a long spell out. Have been working on some projects and getting my GCSEs etc out of the way. I have spent the last two days re making the site and it looks bigger and better than ever. Hope to upload it within the next two days :) thankyou!!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Manchester United!!

2010-03-11T10:37:00.000-08:00

Manchester United: Love United Hate Glazer wallpaper.

Manchester United Modern 'Newton Heath' Shirt

Hadouken!

2010-03-01T12:34:00.000-08:00

Might be going to see them in Oxford this month, it will be great!! So i decided to create a quick wallpaper for their newest album :)

eBook reader for Nintendo DS

2010-02-26T11:43:00.000-08:00

Im suprised this video i have made fetched over 4000 hits so soon, briefly its
a tutorial on how to import eBooks to your Nintendo Ds.

Web design

2010-01-31T11:15:00.000-08:00

My latest website http://www.free-motion.co.uk

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Hard at work

2010-01-31T05:56:00.000-08:00

Making apps, apps and more apps.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Opinion

2010-01-31T05:52:00.000-08:00

I think nintendo Should port mario kart to the iPhone :/ nearest thing to it is shrek kart ffs.

- Posted using BlogPress (which is actually awesome) from my iPod touch.

Wallpaper Collection One

2009-12-21T03:32:00.000-08:00

I have just finished my first wallpaper pack, they are all custom made by me in Adobe Photoshop. Why not download or even look at them by clicking the download link. Collection Two coming soon :)

Shortcut

2009-12-07T09:49:00.000-08:00

This blog is updated frequently,
why not check back soon? Want to get here faster?
Well create a desktop shortcut with the destination...
http://www.flashnetblog.blogspot.com/
and use my new icons to make it look better :)

Wallpapers

2009-12-07T08:44:00.000-08:00

Made a couple more Wallpapers, Both of which i made randomly with the gradient tool and a few filters, quick and easy but they look ok. Remember that i am allowing these images to be downloaded on the terms that you do not use them for commercial use. Thankyou!

Operating Systems

2009-12-02T13:22:00.000-08:00

Ok this is where i can rant on for months... But im not going to, Basically there are three leading OS developers out there being Microsoft, Apple and Linux. Overall Microsoft (Windows) OS' are used the most all over the world but does that mean they are the best? I dont think so, I have worked with the following...
1. Microsoft Windows XP Home Premium
2. Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
3. Microsoft Windows 7
4. Mac OS X Leopard
5. Ubuntu Linux 9.10

My opinion is that operating systems need to be fast, have no bugs, virus limitations, software and look nice. Plus a few more essentials. To me i found all of that in Ubuntu Linux, It's amazing boot times and great looks sets it above the rest. Plus its stress free usage as all the software is free and is NO viruses.
Windows 7 has a supreme boot speed and great looks, brilliant software but is very vulnerable to killer viruses.
Leopard OS X is also everything and perfect for design but the software available hasnt got as much of a range.

My Wallpaper

2009-12-02T12:49:00.000-08:00

Had a go at making my own Mac OS X wallpaper, took quite a while but it turned out ok i guess! I am making this available for YOU to download for free right now. You can either download the full PNG version or you can see the layers and how it was made by downloading my PDF version. Thanks and please use this for non commercial use only. Thank-you for playing fair!

Graphics Tablet

2009-12-01T13:54:00.000-08:00

After a while of messing about with my Graphics Tablet i managed to get my handwriting to its near best
i currently use a 'Medion MyNote' which allows me to convert writing to text or drawings to any possible format. Its a superb tool and i would recommend it to anybody, it also has a see through sheet so you can draw over sketches you draw out and about.

FTP Clients

2009-11-30T10:57:00.000-08:00

For a while i had been endlessly searching google for a way to make and publish a website with ease. Now i can do that, after designing my site and editing the html i simply drag my contents into my 'Client' and away it goes, deep, deep into the interwebs.
I have been using a free client called 'FileZilla' which i first found when i installed Ubuntu on my desktop PC.
FileZilla is fast and easy to use i would easily rate it 9/10 for this type of software. The only improvements that could be made are that it looks very old and plain and its not very well organised.