Monitor network use
from your menubar.

All good geeks want to know what’s happening inside their computers, don’t they? What do you mean, “no”? Well, OK… but for those who do, and who use a Mac, there’s a nifty way of getting your system information into the menu bar so that you can keep an eye on it without having to open another program.

iSlayer’s iStat menus allow you to populate your menu bar with mini widgets that can help you keep an eye on the computer’s temperature, network usage, memory usage, and a raft of other useful information.

Some of you might be wondering why on earth you would want to do this, but there are a few things it can be good to monitor. Network usage, for instance. On Windows I was always able to get the network icon in the system tray and see from that whether my computer was transmitting or receiving network data. I haven’t found such an option on the Mac, so by adding a network monitor to my menu bar I can now see when the network is in use. That’s great if you’re worried about malware sending sensitive data home, or if you just want to see whether Firefox is working hard or has stopped working altogether :)

Monitoring memory or CPU usage can also tell you whether you are overtaxing your computer and should shut a few programs down, whilst monitoring the disk usage and activity can tell you whether you are running out of space (at a glance) or whether a poorly program is constantly trying to read data.

In the normal course of things you shouldn’t really have to care about this stuff, but if your computer starts acting a little odd it’s great to be able to do a little diagnosis quickly.

While we’re thinking about it, it’s worth pointing out that iSlayer also provide two system monitoring widgets for the dashboard and a nifty to-do manager. All their tools are free, and run on Mac OS X.

From my viewpoint I agree with Kirkman, things must change, I find myself reading stories that although new can easily be read as rehashing older ideas (some not so old), the lack of creativity in especially DC and Marvel results in a recycling of characters and plots which inevitably will lead to a creativity stagnation.

So what are your views:
- Do you even read comics?
- Do have an opinion on the future of the big four (Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, and Image)?
- Have you noticed a dip in creativity in the mainstream?
- Do you read independent/creator owned titles?

(via: Angry Zen Master)

I’ve heard of ways to stream music from your home computer to your iPhone, but only if it’s been jailbroken. Now, however, there’s a way to do it without having to go down the jailbreak route, an application in the app store called Simplify Media. Simplify Media streams music from your home computer to your iPhone over an EDGE, GPRS, 3G or Wi-Fi connection (though I’d recommend trying to use Wi-Fi wherever possible).

But, more than that, if you install Simplify Media on multiple computers you can play music from either one wherever you are. So if you’re at work, you can listen to your home music library without having to bring the files with you. And if your friends install Simplify Media, they can hear your music and you can hear theirs (be sure to check the local laws before you try that one).

Here’s an overview of the idea:

But… does it work? Actually, yes. With Simplify Media running on my Mac-Mini at home, I can pick from my entire music library and listen to it while I’m out and about. I’ve tried it on Wi-Fi (best performance), 3G (good performance) and GPRS (OK performance). On GPRS the audio quality was even reduced to improve the buffering time. It sounded like I was listening to AM radio, but it still did the job. I have to admit that I probably won’t be using this day in, day out, but it is very handy for if I want a particular track I haven’t moved over to my iPhone. And I have to say I’m very impressed at how well it works.

Simplify Media for iPhone is free for the first 100,000 users, and will cost $3.99 after that. It is completely free for the desktop.

Links:

• Simplify Media for iPhone
• Simplify Media for mac/windows/linux

Coign of Vantage is a picture-matching game. An image appears in the top-right corner, and you have to match it by rotating a 3d cluster of squares. The cluster initially looks like a random jumble, but from a certain vantage point they form the example image. Confused? You won’t be when you give it a go. You just keep going until the time runs out… which can take a while since you get extra time for getting a puzzle right.

Exercise that spatial awareness… or, alternatively, just enjoy the game :)

Needs flash and has sound - though you can play with the sound off

Click to Play

Spruce your living space up with
a cardboard hunting trophy.

Not quite sure how to categorize this, other than, “It’s cool!”; Cardboard Safari is a new take on those stuffed animal heads you see on the walls in stately homes and castles, except that these aren’t the usual hunting trophies: they’re cardboard puzzles.

Made from 100% recycled, non-toxic cardboard, these puzzles are a quirky addition to your home. Quite apart from the fun of putting them together (and painting them, if you choose), there’s the cool-factor of owning one, and it’s bound to be a conversation starter. After all, who wouldn’t be curious to see one hanging on your living room wall?

Whether you live in a mansion or a flat, these cardboard animal heads would make a great addition.

The heads range from $16 to $52, and can be delivered internationally

If you drive a car you’ll have noticed that fuel prices are pretty high at the moment, and I guess you’ve at least considered ways to cut down on the amount of money you’re spending on running your vehicle. As part of that, how about keeping track of when you fill up, how much fuel you put in, and your car’s fuel economy? Sounds like a lot of work, but FuelFrog can make the whole process nice and easy.

I’ve been tracking my fuel use for a few months now, and it’s handy to be able to see whether the car is performing well and whether I’m filling up more often than I would expect. As I can claim expenses for business miles, it’s also handy to be able to see whether the amount I’m given is covering the cost of fuel purchases.

By simply entering the distance travelled on your last tank, the price per gallon/litre, and the gallons/litres of fuel added FuelFrog will calculate your fuel economy and keep a record of your fillup. You can even tell the site what measuring system you use (e.g. the UK system of buying fuel in litres, but measuring economy in miles per gallon). And for one last piece of statistical fun, you can specify what car you are driving too.

FuelFrog also accepts updates from Twitter, meaning that you can update via SMS if you want to.

FuelFrog is free to use, and a handy way to track your fuel usage. Now to work out how to save fuel so that I’m not spending so much!

You control a flak cannon against an onslaught of enemy airships. Fortunately you also have the option of building extra automated turrets, and calling in support fire. The problem is that each turret and support requests costs Prestige Points, which are earned by downing balloons.

This is surprisingly addictive, and looks like it could last a while what with the huge number of levels and the ability to save your game for later. Needs Flash, and has sound.

Click the image to play

So as a sampling of its brilliance may I present unto you the most recent strip…

1. Viacom “Backs Off” on YouTube Data - after the news that Viacom wanted Google to hand over personally identifiable information on YouTube’s users, they finally relented and agreed that the data could be anonymised first. YouTube users around the world breathed a sigh of relief as they realised their viewing habits would no longer be in the hands of a corporation upset over copyright issues.
2. Take a chill pill and click - Adam’s post of chilled-out flash games was still going strong last month, snagging the 2nd top spot for most viewed articles.
3. Take effective notes with mindmaps - A look at taking motes by mapping out symantic links between terms, rather than writing in a linear fashion. This was the first part in a series of posts looking at this idea.
4. No internet after update? - John reported a loss of internet connectivity after a Windows update, which turned out to be related to insufficient testing on Microsoft’s part interfering with the Zonealarm firewall software.
5. Creating mindmaps with mind42.com - As part of the series on mindmapping, we took a look at using online collaborative mindmapping site, mind42.com.

This month’s top traffic source, with 84% of traffic, was StumbleUpon (again).