The question on everyones lips. Will your PC run Doom 3? Well, thanks to HardOCP theres handy guide with various specs, so just click on the one closest to yours and you'll get an idea of where you stand. I myself am upgrading to an XP2500 machine so I should get 47fps, or there abouts, at 800x600. I might overclock my machine to get a bit more out of it.

Found this article on disabling IE in Windows. Seems quite nice, but some of us do need it for testing....unfortunatly.

In classic forum tradition there is a great thread on OcUK about what happens when you put things in a microwave. Things like, tin foil, cd's, grapes, and other such things to create ball lightining. Videos included :D

Microsoft are now saying to turn off the majority of features in IE for your own protection against viruses. Its just stupid. How many websites rely on Javascript? Sure SP2 is meant to fix these, but not everyone is on XP yet. People really need to switch to Firefox to continue normal browsing.

A rather well written article on why you shouldn't be using passwords of any kind on your Windows networks. Basically, use a phrase not a word. Simple as. I remember working at JMU and we had a pass phrase not word and that was 5 years ago.

I was given this link to a rather brilliant site. Anyone who's feeling crushed by the western world should definetly check it out. Makes you feel, a bit happier :)

Oh yer, also check out the brilliantly done Radiohead video to Creep (acoustic). Its really brilliant, just as the song is :)

The "governement" are about to issue silly booklets telling people that if a bomb goes off it could hurt or something like that. So lets play spot the difference

No longer looking like some Fisher Price toy, the DS has a new cool design. Silver with black buttons. It looks far sleeker than the previous one, but still not *as* nice as the PSP, but it is hard to tell from the rendered image. I'll still be getting one though :) Wifi Mario Kart!!!

Beaten up caek

Firstly we have Notepad2 (Freeware too). Looks quite good.

Then we have, what XPSP2 means to your website. Another good read. We also have Firefox 1.0 Preview Release info which states 1.0 is coming soon :D

Lastly, an intresting article on designers being the problem with web design.

There is a new cinematic Halo 2 trailer out for download. It only shows short scenes, but damn those graphics look amazing. The depth of field effect is fantastic. Look out for ilovebees.com link at the very end. Theres something going on out there. 24th August....

Microsoft are giving out free Windows 98 Support CDs so you can keep Win98 "secure" :)

Via Neil Turner. The Reg has an intresting article on which musical stereotype IT people are. Naturally I don't really fit anywhere :) I'm both a developer and a designer. They don't actually have designer there. I'm not an MSCE, but I like Dido. I do like Linux as a Server OS and I do like "Electro" music. My job is a developer role, but I'm not a big fan of Megadeath or Slipknot. I do database stuff and I do like Indie. Yadda yadda yadda....

I guess I'm just too unique ;) Either that or I'm not an IT professional :D

Tiscali are giving away Championship Manager 4 for FREE when you join anyone of their packages, including the "No monthly fee" pay-as-you-go package.

This just makes me sick. I've never ate there, but I will be reminding people who do of how much pain their burger endured to make into their bucket.

On July 20, 2004, PETA released the results of an undercover investigation into a KFC chicken slaughterhouse in Moorefield, W.Va., where workers were caught on video stomping birds, kicking them, and slamming them against floors and walls. Workers ripped the animals' beaks off, twisted their heads off, spat tobacco into their eyes and mouths, spray-painted their faces, and tied their legs together for "laughs."

Posted by cyKey at 02:38 PM

Picasa, the Photo organizer for digital photos, is now free thanks to Google.

Thats one small step for man, one giant panoramic for mankind. Requires Quicktime.

The Liverpool Anglican Cathedral's Centenary was on Sunday and I was there with Dave and about 20 other photographers. I got my shots sorted quickly and I noticed the BBC only had a shot of the Cathedral during the day time. So I emailed them and they used mine \o/

You can view more in my gallery.

Doom 3 calls and I'm tempted by;

• Inspire 6.1 6700 - 4 X 8w Rms Satelites 1 X Centre 20w Rms 22w Rms Subwoofer Plus Wired Remote - £38.70
• 1x Crucial 512 DDR400 PC3200 CL=3 Memory Module - £52.56
• AMD ATHLON XP2500+ 333MHZ FSB 512 L2 Cache Barton CPU - £42.01
• Coolermaster round floppy cable 10" Silver TTC-F10-E1 - £2.49
• 2 x High Quality Round IDECable ATA133 60cm in Yellow - £4.04
• Chieftec Dx-01 Dragon Green Atx Case No PSU - £19.99
• MSI Nforce K7N2 Delta-ILSR DDR400 8XAGP FireWire SATA Sound LAN Retail Box - £58.97

Total: £270.28

I might go for 1GB Ram, not sure yet. I just need something cheap to give me an FPS boost really, then spend more later next year on an A64 system.

Liverpool Anglican Cathedral celebrated 100 years since the first stone was layed yesterday night and they had a fireworks display with £30,000 worth of fireworks. It was a fantastic display. I've been to many fireworks displays, and even the UK Fireworks competition, and I can easily say that this was the most impressive I've seen.

When it started the fireworks were behind the building and we paniced. We'd been waiting for about 1 hr 30mins, had our spot picked out and everything, then boom... "OMG WE'RE ON THE WRONG SIDE!!". The press photographer there ran off, as did most of the crowd. We stayed and were rewarded with such an amazing site.

As one life ends;

another begins;

Just saw some bats flying round the back garden for some odd reason. They were hard to photograph and I only got one just as it came at me from out of a bush. Its a tad out of focus as I left it on manual.

A few hours ago I took my hamster to the vet. I was hoping he'd give her an injection and she'd be ok. Infact, thats what he did suggest. I mentioned my Mum suggested putting her to sleep. He said that it is coming to that. After a talk with my Mum on the phone, I made the hardest decision ever and asked the vet to put her to sleep. It was the hardest thing I've had to watch. She cried out, she paniced, it wasn't pretty. She then just calmly rested and after a minute the vet gave her another injection and put her back in her bed. I haven't been able to look at her since and she's now burried in the garden.

It *was* for the best, but I really do miss her. Am I going to get another? 2 years is too short a time to enjoy and I know that in 2 years time I will be taking another blood soaked hamster to the Vet to be put down. But then, 2 years for 1 day of pain? I would love another hamster, but its just too short a time.

Goodbye Chi.

My hamster survived the night with little blood loss. She doesn't want to eat much, but I have a Vet's appointment at 5:20pm later today. Hopefully he can give her something and she'll regain her appitite. I need to pickup some bedding for her and chocolate drops.

I've spent most of the night cleaning blood off my hamster. Every time I put her into bed, she goes to sleep and after about 30 minutes theres blood again. She even made the loudest cat like scream and then there was a real lot of blood. I can only hope (selfishly) that she survives till morning so the Vet can see her. But from the way she's acting and how my last hamster died, it doesn't look good. I really hate that something so small has made such an emotional connection with me. I hate being unable to fix this. Life is too short, just too fucking short.

I went to Scotland last week. Home -> North Berwick -> Edinburgh -> Across the Firth -> Inverness -> Drumadrochit -> Loch Ness -> Fort Augustus -> Nevis Range -> Fort William -> Glenfinnan -> Mallaig -> Glencoe -> Glasgow -> Lake District -> Lake Windermere -> Keswick -> Home.

It was a great trip with lots of cool memories, and some seriously stunning photos.

Me on a boat

Hogwarts express

This is me at 2000 feet on ben nevis

@T=FIFE

@T=Scotland2004

Commodore are back with an e-Vic, which is basicaly an MP3 player with 20gb hard disk and FM Tuner. Its nice to see the name Commodore back in the IT industry :D

You can use this stopwatch to test which browser really is the fastest :) Firefox loaded ms.com in 2 seconds and IE in 5...