Great Videos on Wordpress

Check out these great vids over at theme forest for tips and follow alongs on Wordpress development.

http://blog.themeforest.net/wordpress/wordpress-for-designers-day-1/

More videos are there they just aren't listed.

Next step in photography

After losing my dad's tripod I need to think about what my next major photography purchase will be.

Tripod or Flash

They are going to run me about the same amount of money. A tripod means I can shoot more landscapes, and a flash means I can shoot people better.

I am leaning towards the 600 flash, and would probably go for a tripod from the local Ritz. mmmr decisions decisions.

AutoCompletion in OpenOffice

Have you ever been annoyed by that auto completion in OpenOffice. Sometimes it is handy, but most of the time I find it annoying.

Here is how to turn it off for Writer, the word processor.

1. Open Writer
2. Go to Format > AutoCorrect > AutoCorrect Options...
3. Navigate to the last tab "Word Completion"
4. Uncheck "Enable word completion"

Here is how to turn it off in Calc, the spreadsheet application.

1. Open Calc
2. Uncheck Tools > Cell Contents > AutoInput
3. When the "AutoInput" label does not have a check mark next to it the auto-complete function is turned off.

I hope you find this helpful.

Fresh Lucid Lynx Install? Time to grab some software

The following is a list of software I recommend downloading on your fresh Lucid Lynx install.

1. Run updates (just in case it isn't as fresh as you think!)
• System > Administration > Update Manager
• While we are here let's take a moment to adjust the settings (button is in the lower left hand corner of the Update Manager window)
• I prefer to have Ubuntu check for updates weekly, and to install security updates without confirmation. Choose whatever suits you though. Hit close to save and exit.
2. Open up the Ubuntu Software Center and search for the following:
• Applications > Ubuntu Software Center
1. Ubuntu Restricted Extras
• This gets you set up to play MP3s, Java, Flash, and installs the core fonts used in microsoft (and a lot of websites)
2. VLC
• A simple video/audio player
3. HomeBank
• For personal accounting
4. Advanced Desktop Effects Settings
• This lets you play around with some of the more advanced effects that your computer is capable of. You often have to install this for other effects altering tutorials, so it is nice to just get it installed now.
• Let's finish of DVD playing by unlocking the DVD reader we downloaded. To do this we have to enter some code into Terminal
1. Open up an instance of terminal by going to Applications > Accessories > Terminal
2. Terminal doesn't like keyboard shortcuts, so when you go to paste code you have to right click and select paste. That said.
3. Paste the following code:
   

   sudo /usr/share/doc/libdvdread4/install-css.sh

3. Now for the software where you have to visit their sites
• This can be a bit confusing, but you are looking for files that end in .deb (instead of .exe) and are built for i386 or 32bit computers. i386 is just a fancy way of saying 32bit. And because there are two ways to say it everybody disagrees about which is correct.
1. Picasa
• A great photo organizer that lets you upload photos to your web albums account, and e-mail them.
• http://picasa.google.com/linux/download.html#picasa30
• Again you want the .deb file for Debian/Ubuntu i386. This is the second option.
• Download, double click, and hit install. If it says there is an error or something is corrupt, then download it again.
2. Skype
• Perfect for online chatting.
• http://www.skype.com/download/skype/linux/choose/
• Lucid Lynx was released in April of 2010 (so it is 10.04), this is above 8.10, and we want the 32-bit release.
• Download, double click, and hit install. If it says there is an error or something is corrupt, then download it again.
4. And last but not least the random ones that sneak through the cracks in the ground.
1. Community Themes, is quite what the title suggests. You don't like the greys and blacks around your windows? Neither did I!
• You can download this one by clicking on community themes there are tougher ways to grab it, but after all the good work you've done today this one is a freebie

I'll keep this post updated with any software I stumble upon.  If there is something you want your computer to do that it isn't doing then browse around the Software Center.

Best of luck
Knoxy

Free Icons: For Web Design

When webdesigning (or creating a portfolio) it is nice to drop in some icons. Consider a necessary tool in design, along with photos, text and color pallets.

For Action Buttons Around The Site

• A few good music media themed icons
• Some great white on black rounded rectangles, general web dev
• Nice Clean Simple Sketch icons
• Green and Blue, Big and textured with feeling

For In Text Graphics

• Flat Screen TV
• City Icons, nice high res
• High Res; Sailboat, car, pie chart

Networking Icons

• Shiny Clouds
• Smudgy Paint
• Polaroid type
• Gradient Circles

as a side note on my way to learning wordpress and understanding it's enigmas, here is a great theme.
http://www.dizenoco.com/brave-zeenat-free-wordpress-theme/
the psd and the theme are free, fancy j-query and all sorts of interesting goodies.

After browsing around the Wordpress database for themeing (Codex) I blew a raspberry in the air and started searching. Here is my best find on Learning to Theme by theme shaper. Seems to meet my needs and walk you through the ugly. Most importantly it'll be more fun than disassembling someone else's theme. Everytime I have to do that I feel like a cross between a surgeon and an archeologist. I constantly find myself thinking, "is that glyph outdated or is that a spleen, and therefor somewhat necessary?"