Links of Interest (August 25th 2008 through September 28th 2008)

jQuery and Microsoft
When Microsoft started adding some of the often requested features to their ASP.NET AJAX Client API they realized that jQuery (my personal favorite javascript library) already did what they wanted. Rather than reinvent the wheel Microsoft will be shipping the standard, as-is jQuery with full intellisense support in Visual Studio.

The Creative Process
“For me, ideas stream through my head at a frantic pace. I feel like a bear trying to grab a salmon. If my paw misses its target, that salmon is gone for good. I don’t dwell on it. I just lunge for the next salmon.” Scott Adams (Dilbert) discusses ideas, and how he sometimes forgets he’s already used them.

Tip: Using a background image on an image
Using CSS to create layered images (with a fun animated example). Simple but effective.

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Fresh Out – PDF Version
Free fun little mini-comic from Natalie Metzger. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll really want some cookies! Ready for printing.

Sizzle: John Resig has a new selector engine
Ajaxian brings word that John Resig is working an a new Javascript selector engine, which is expected to replace the one in jQuery. So far it’s less than 4k (but it doesn’t support IE yet). “4x faster in Firefox 3, 3x faster in Opera 9, 1.5x faster in Safari 3 than the other major JavaScript libraries.”

Links of Interest (July 18th 2008 through August 21st 2008)

Tor’s e-book giveaway: Someone is WRONG on the Internet
Tor books recently gave away a batch of free e-books as publicity for the new Tor.com. Many of the books were of the “first in series” variety. Some folks expected to be able to buy the sequels at Tor.com when it launched, and weren’t happy to find they could not. A representative from Tor responded, and it seems thing got a bit heated. An interesting look at an unintended side effect of “free” (be sure to read the comments).
Zombies attack musician, everyone laughs (including musician)
JoCo attacked by Zombies an the 2008 New Media Expo
It’s a tasty thing
J. Dack posits “Scalzi’s Law”. I doubt this will be disproved any time soon.
Ballantine Books to Publish Book Inspired by the Webcomic Garfield Minus Garfield
I enjoy the heck out of “Garfield Minus Garfield”, but I assumed it would go the way of “Dylan Hears a Who”. I applaud Jim Davis and Ballantine Books for embracing the comic strip remix rather than issuing the standard cease and desist notice.
PDTool
A sliderule to help determine copyright status.
A Talk with JoCo
Five part interview with Jonathan Coulton (both mp3s and transcripts are available).

Links of Interest (February 21st 2008 through April 1st 2008)

INFECTED Trailer
Amazing film-style trailer for Scott Sigler’s novel Infected (available now in hardcover).
OverDrive to offer DRM-free audiobooks via Borders: Time to try unshackled e-books, too?
This can only be good news. OverDrive has an interesting history with DRM. They have always claimed to be unable to work with iPods due to Apple’s proprietary DRM, while failing to make clear they were using Microsoft’s proprietary DRM.
garfield minus garfield
Take Garfield (the comic strip) and remove the title character, and you’re left with something darker and disturbingly funny.
‘Lego Universe,’ a brick MMO, is in development
I haven’t been real interested in Massively Multi-Player Online games in a while, but the idea of a Lego based MMO might change that.

Links of Interest (June 21st 2007 through June 29th 2007)

Pirate keyboard
CORSAIR Ergonomic Keyboard For Pirates
David Allen Company Podcast
David Allen Company podcast
Writer Stalking
Vlog-paparazzia stalk author/podcaster Mathew Wayne Selznick at Balticon.
Locus Online: New Books, mid-June 2007
Locus online’s listing of new SF/F/H books for mid-June 2007
The Dawn of Dilbert
The original batch of Dilbert strips that were submitted to the cartoon syndicates (with reactions).

Links of Interest (May 8th 2007 through May 10th 2007)

Top 5 Roomba Hacks
Videos of some interesting Roomba hacks. Seeing a family of Roombas sing “Frosty the Snowman” is a riot (and only a little bit creepy).
17 Web 2.0 Sites Optimized for Your Wii
A nice selection of sites to visit on your Wii.
Sun?s Take on OpenID
Sun is offering trusted OpenID’s for all employees.
Spoon-Bending ‘Paranormalist’ Illegally Twists Copyright Law
Uri Geller v. YouTube. Great headline.
Hi, I?m a Marvel?and I?m a DC
Parody of the “I’m a Mac.., and I’m a PC” ads with comic book action figures.
Top 17 Search Innovations Outside Of Google
Interesting overview of search technologies.