Archive for April, 2010

PlayOn media server: watching Hulu and Netflix on my TV via my iMac!

pank
Apr 28 |22:00

I downloaded the PlayOn media server two days ago and have been playing around with their fully functional demo. I have to say it simply works as advertised and took no more than 2 minutes to set up. In a matter of minutes I was streaming Hulu and Netflix shows right to my TV via my iMac and it works GREAT!

It works so well as a matter of fact that I purchased a lifetime license for the software. If you are interested in grabbing your own copy hurry because they are offering a special discount… The normal price is $39.99 but if you buy it before this Sunday you can get it for only $19.99! That really is a sweet deal. If you want to quickly try before you buy you can download the demo and give it a good test drive.

Hulu users especially know that they make it very difficult to watch network TV shows on an actual TV as they try to keep you limited to watching in your PC’s or Mac’s browser or the Hulu desktop client. I’d much rather watch shows on a 50″ Plasma and I’m sure you would as well… With PlayOn this is no longer a problem and I’ve yet to find an easier solution.

PC users can just install the software/set up your account logins for Hulu, Netflix, etc. and you are done. Mac users like myself have to take a few extra steps but it is extremely simple to set up. Here is a link that will guide OS X users through the basic setup/install (some of the screen shots are a bit outdated but you will still be able to follow the set up very easily).

What you will need to run the PlayOn media server:

  • PC running Windows OS
  • Mac (OS X) running windows via Virtualization software such as Parallels Desktop, VMware Fusion, or even apple’s boot camp.
  • 512 MB RAM
  • 100MB of available hard drive space for the install
  • A networked PS3, Xbox 360, Wii or DLNA compliant device

I tested PlayOn on an HP Desktop PC / 24″ iMac 2.8Ghz extreme and a macbook. The PC was running Win XP pro and I tested XP pro and Win 7 on my iMac and macbook. It worked seamlessly on all three setups with no snags at all. Depending on the speed of your ISP you may need to tweak your streaming settings (or you can just choose auto).

The bottom line is I’ve played around with various media servers on my Mac and this by far is the simplest and easiest to set up solution I’ve found. It was a good deal at $39.99 but it truly is a steal at $19.99! Give it a go and enjoy all the perks of streaming to your actual TV :)

 

Brand new product released! Chrome Text…

pank
Apr 23 |15:04

I have just uploaded a brand new Chrome Text Photoshop Style to graphicriver. This is officially my first product release since selling eXtremepixels… I’m working on a few new items to add and I think (Yeah I’m biased) the chrome text styles turned out really nice :)

Chrome Text

You can view the full size image here that shows all of the different pre-configured styles.

INFO:
19 highly detailed, layered and fully editable Chrome text and graphic styles (including the ability to tweak all layer style effects). Tested on Mac (CS4) “and” PC (CS).

Pre-configured Chrome Text / Rough Chrome Text / Color Tinted Chrome Text / Color Tinted Rough Chrome Text as well as pre-configured round images that are great to use for buttons or misc. graphics for your work . The image layer style will also work great with many shapes and sizes.

- All of these items are on their own editable layers and are very organized so you can easily work with the file.

INCLUDES :
• 1024×1200 .psd that you can easily change text and effects.
• .asl file including 15 different pre-configured effects.
• very clean design and easy to follow layer organization.
• very detailed readme file with screen shots to guide you.

I really want to sincerely thank Ben and the support staff over at Graphicriver for really excellent support. Very fast and more important very good support! Let me know what you think about the Chrome text Photoshop style I added for sale….

 

Sweet sweet Buffy Dog – Well wishes!

pank
Apr 14 |20:22

Well our beloved Buffy Dog has already been through so much in her short 6 years of life. At 1 1/2 years old she had to have a full hip replacement, a couple of years ago she had a cancerous tumor and it was removed successfully, a couple of months ago she blew out her knee and had major knee surgery…. And now we have discovered a lump on her left front ankle.

My wife and I took her to the vet right away and and our vet was able to aspirate the lump and get a sample of what was inside. She saw some spindle cells and was a bit concerned (those can mean there is cancer) and shipped the sample off to the lab for further examination. The results came back the same and after another visit to the vet she suggested we make an appt. with the oncologist at our local VCA. Buffy dog goes in on the 28th to get it looked at by the doggy oncologist and they suggested a biopsy with wide margins to get a real good idea of what is going on.

The bottom line is we truly love our animals and if you can just take 2 seconds and think of a positive thought I would really appreciate it. She is the kindest most gentle creature and we want nothing more for her to live a very long, healthy and happy life with us.

 

Virusbarrier X6 / why I will not upgrade

pank
Apr 13 |21:32

This will be old news for some but after doing more research I thought this would be worthy of a post. Now I know you first question will be “pank, why do you even bother with a virus software on your Mac? Your a smart guy, you take precautions, plus there are no viruses in the wild that affect OS X!” My answer is very simple… I just feel better having virus protection (even on my Mac).

I’ve been using virusbarrier from intego.com for years and truly love the software. I’m currently running X5 and when I saw the updated X6 release my first thought was to just do the normal thing for me and update my software to the latest version. I’m glad I didn’t just jump in like normal and decided to do a little research first. What I discovered that this is expire-ware, meaning that after 1 year the software itself will no longer function. No, not just your virus definitions will expire but the software itself will simply cease to run. This is a horrible marketing change in my opinion and is the “only” reason I will not be upgrading to virusbarrier X6. I’ll just keep my old X5 running and I still have 271 days of virus definition updates. Not to mention when my definition updates do actually expire my old software will still continue to function.

You can easily do some searching for yourself and Read More…

 

iPhone wordpress app

pank
Apr 4 |11:01

I just downloaded the wordpress app and I have to say it seems very easy to use and has a lot of built in features.

I am posting this entire entry (took screen shot from my phone / and added picture using the app) from my iPhone using nothing more than the wordpress app and my phones built in features.

As I post this the one thing Read More…

 

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