ebscer

Best Movies of 2011

2011-12-28T10:07:00.002-05:00

I Am Number Four - Based on a book that I didn't read, but I am eagerly anticipating the sequal

Super 8 - Can't go wrong with Abrams and Spielberg. Like a cross between Cloverfield and ET (but better)

Limitless - A very cool movie, with a very cool ending

Thor - Despite being a comic book adaption, it is actually pretty good

Win Win - A more obscure film, but good. It has been 7 years since I was on the wrestling team myself

Where I was in October

2011-11-02T16:45:00.002-04:00

Where I spent the month of October by city. Units are in days, with the city for each day determined by where I ate dinner.

Rochester lead with 58% of my days in the month. San Fransisco was second with 13%, while Seattle and Buffalo were tied for third place with 3 days each.

Open letter to Switchfoot

2011-10-01T23:25:00.005-04:00

Hey Switchfoot,

Thanks for mailing your new album Vice Verses to me. The songs (as always) are awesome. But I do have one complaint.

That would be the 25 minutes that it took me to actually get the CD out of the packaging. Was the album worth the wait? Definitely. But that doesn't explain why it was harder to get into then a bottle of prescription drugs. Is a tamper proof seal really necessary? Even thought the majority of the text on the actual CD is boiler plate legalese, Vice Verses is not in fact actually a controlled substance.

I understand that this is actually supposed to be in place for theft deterrent, but given that I pre-paid for the album, and you then shipped it directly to my house, I am a little fuzzy on where along the way you expected the disk to get jacked. Never mind that someone could still just swipe the whole package, sure it would have resulted in the thief being frustrated (as I was), but I am not sure how that would have helped you or me. Even if this was being stocked in a store, and someone wanted the contents of the CD without having to pay, there are far easier ways to do that which do not even require you to leave your house.

So again, thanks for a great album. The songs are solid from the start to the end (especially that last song). But next time could you give me the chance to buy the album in a way that I can open it without almost stabbing myself?

The Past year of BlackBerry OS usage

2011-05-11T12:25:00.004-04:00

Originally posted at news.ebscer.com

The number of BlackBerry phones running OS 6.0 has increased to 25.2% of the market last month. While 84.0% of BlackBerrys now run OS 5.0 or higher.

Eight months after the release of OS 5.0 it had already captured over twice the market, while OS 6.0 is only doing half as well at the eight month mark. Overall adoption of the newer OS is mostly being held back by the limited number of upgrades from devices that originally were released with 5.0 operating systems. Given the lack of an upgrade path, it would be expected to see a similarly slow uptake of OS 7.0 when it is released this summer. (Although 7.0 will be helped some by being available on all the major US carriers at launch).

As usual this data is taken from downloads of the popular BlackBerry strategy game Pixelated. Data starts from the release of version 2.0 in April of 2010, and goes through the end of last month.

The making of a Salad

2011-03-26T16:10:00.016-04:00

BroccoliCeleryEdamameJalapenoGreen Bell PepperAll of the Green ingredientsCarrotsOnionParmigiano-Reggiano cheeseAppleBlack PepperDried Red Bell Pepper and GarlicCheddar CheeseCroutonsFull Salad

BlackBerry Statistics

2011-01-15T14:12:00.004-05:00

All BlackBerry related posts are still being posted at news.ebscer.com including those on related to BlackBerry OS Statistics.

In particular a recent article showed the changes in BlackBerry OS usage over time. The main chart for this is posted below.

news.ebscer.com

2010-09-07T14:32:00.004-04:00

All BlackBerry related news posts are now at news.ebscer.com and will no longer be showing up here. Recent articles include:

Thank you to everyone for your support and please continue to follow all BlackBerry related developments at news.ebscer.com

Pixelated Plus 2.3 adds new features

2010-08-07T12:05:00.003-04:00

Pixelated Plus has now been updated in BlackBerry AppWorld to version 2.3. Pixelated Plus is the most popular Strategy game in BlackBerry AppWorld, and now adds a number of brand new features.

Alternate Colour Schemes

Version 2.3 of Pixelated introduces alternate colour schemes to mix up the appearance of the game. Besides the standard colour scheme that has been available all along, there is now also the possibility of selecting a pastel theme, an "other" theme (pictured above), a Black & White theme, as well as all red, and all blue themes.

Replay Games

A new feature exclusive to the Plus version of Pixelated is the ability to replay games. Now following the conclusion of a game (win or loss), along with seeing the outcome of the previous game, an opportunity to replay the same layout over again will be presented. This will allow you to take another try at a screen that you are unable to beat, or to try and get a better score then you just posted.

Clear Statistics

Inside the statistics, best scores, and achievements pages there is now a menu option to clear all statistics, best scores, and achievements that you have earned so far. Be careful, however, because this can not be undone.

BlackBerry Torch Support

Pixelated Plus version 2.3 supports the brand new BlackBerry Torch 9800. On the Torch Pixelated can be played by both the touch screen and the trackpad. The soon to be released BlackBerry Curve 9300 will also be supported.

Pixelated Plus requires a minimum of OS 4.6 considering that is met the 8330, 8350i, 8520, 8530, 8900, 8910, 9000, 9100, 9105, 9500, 9520, 9530, 9550, 9630, 9650, 9700, and 9800 are all supported.

Twinkle for BlackBerry

2010-07-31T09:41:00.005-04:00

Twinkle a free Application for BlackBerry is now available through BlackBerry AppWorld. Twinkle is a simple application that allows you to set and keep track of upcoming and past events. Twinkle will tell you how far away an event is, and allow you to add it to your BlackBerry's calendar.

The ability to add and edit events, lets you keep track of how soon something is, or how long it has been.

Pixelated Plus updated to Version 2.2

2010-07-15T19:51:00.005-04:00

Pixelated Plus has been updated to version 2.2. This newest version improves the performance of the application. Additionally the file size has been reduced by 11.2% from version 2.1 of this already lean application.

The object of Pixelated is to change the colour of the squares until the entire screen is a single solid colour. This is done by using the coloured buttons on the bottom of the screen to change the colour of the square in the upper left hand corner to that of those surrounding it. Changing this square to the colour of those around it, allows it to slowly grow until it fills the entire screen. The ultimate goal is to clear the screen in as few moves as possible.

The full list of supported devices for Pixelated Plus includes the 8330, 8350i, 8520, 8530, 8900, 9000, 9100, 9105, 9500, 9520, 9530, 9550, 9630, 9650, and 9700 (min OS 4.6).

Pixelated for Pearl 9100 and 9105

2010-05-20T17:53:00.007-04:00

Pixelated and Pixelated Plus have both been upgraded to version 2.1 adding support for the new BlackBerry Pearl 9100 and 9105.

This version also adds an internal link for email support, as well as a few bugfixes.

The full list of supported devices for Pixelated and Pixelated Plus now include the 8330, 8350i, 8520, 8530, 8900, 9000, 9100, 9105, 9500, 9520, 9530, 9550, 9630, 9650, and 9700 (min OS 4.6).

The object of the game is to change the colour of the squares until the entire screen is a single solid colour. This is done by using the coloured buttons on the bottom of the screen to change the colour of the square in the upper left hand corner to that of those surrounding it. Changing this square to the colour of those around it, allows it to slowly grow until it fills the entire screen. The ultimate goal is to clear the screen in as few moves as possible.

10,000 Farkle Version1.1

2010-05-09T11:49:00.004-04:00

10,000 Farkle has been updated to version 1.1 adding some new features. 10,000 Farkle is a dice game that requires both skill and luck. Points are awarded for various dice combinations, but if a roll fails to contain any combinations the turn ends with no points awarded.

New to 10,000 Farkle are in game achievements, backup/synchronization, smoother animation, and the option to turn animation on and off.

Smoother Animation

Version 1.1 of 10,000 Farkle smooths out the animation of the dice rolling to give the game a better flow.

Achievements

New to version 1.1 are in game achievements. They can be an easy way to track your progress through the game, and to show off your accomplishments to others.

Backup/Synchronization

10,000 Farkle now offers backup/restore synchronization through BlackBerry Desktop Manager. This allows you to back up your settings, achievements, and high scores to your computer and to allow them to be kept if your BlackBerry needs to be reset or if you upgrade to a new model.

How to play

Farkle gives you six dice to roll and awards points for a straight, three pairs or three or more of the same number. Fewer points ares also awarded for each individual 1 and 5. Any dice that do not score can be re-rolled for additional points. If all 6 dice can be scored, all of the dice can be re-rolled on the same turn.

The skill in this game comes from knowing how far to push your luck, and which scoring combinations to take, and which to re-roll.

The default game mode gives you 10 turns to score as many points as you can. The 10,000 point mode is the traditional way to play, where the goal is to reach 10,000 points in as few turns as possible. The two competitive game modes "vs Friend" and "vs Computer" both use the traditional race to 10,000 points.

Supported Devices

10,000 Farkle requires a minimum OS of 4.6 and supports the 8330, 8350i, 8520, 8530, 8900, 9000, 9500, 9520, 9530, 9550, 9630, 9650, and 9700.

More Information

Video Demonstration

Pixelated adds support for Bold and Curve with Version 2.0

2010-04-27T18:13:00.005-04:00

The free game Pixelated, one of the ten most popular games in BlackBerry AppWorld, and currently the fourth ranking free application has been upgraded to version 2.0. This new version adds support for the BlackBerry Curve and Bold so that the application now supports almost all devices. The full list of supported devices now includes 8330, 8350i, 8520, 8530, 8900, 9000, 9500, 9520, 9530, 9550, 9630, 9650, 9700 (min OS 4.6).

The new version of the application also adds a number of new features, including such as an Achievement system, and the ability to backup/synchronize game settings.

Greater Device support

All versions of the BlackBerry Curve and Bold are now supported, in addition to the devices that already were. This brings the full list of supported devices to the following: 8330, 8350i, 8520, 8530, 8900, 9000, 9500, 9520, 9530, 9550, 9630, and 9700. The game will also support the 9650 when it launches.

Achievements

In game achievements can be an easy way to track your progress through the game, and to show off your accomplishments to others.

Synchronization

Pixelated Plus now offers backup/restore synchronization through BlackBerry Desktop Manager. This allows you to back up your settings and achievements to your computer and to allow them to be kept if your operating system needs to be reset or upgraded.

Interface Improvements

Parts of the interface have been upgraded for a better and easier experience. Additionally theme support has been greatly expanded so that Pixelated now works with a greater number of custom themes.

Download from BlackBerry AppWorld

Pixelated Plus Version 2.0

2010-03-30T21:35:00.010-04:00

Pixelated Plus Version 2.0 is now available for download from BlackBerry AppWorld. This version comes with a number of improvements ranging from greater device support to achievements and synchronization, to the much requested move counter.

Move Counter

A move counter has been by far one of the most requested enhancements to Pixelated. While it has no effect on the gameplay it can help you know how well the current game is going so you can better manage your moves. The move counter can be turned on from the options menu.

Greater Device support

Achievements

In game achievements can be an easy way to track your progress through the game, and to show off your accomplishments to others. While Version 2.0 will keep any best scores and statistics earned in early versions of the game, all achievements must be earned after the upgrade to version 2.0

Synchronization

Pixelated Plus now offers backup/restore synchronization through BlackBerry Desktop Manager. This allows you to back up your settings and statistics to your computer and to allow them to be kept if your operating system needs to be reset or upgraded.

Interface Improvements

Parts of the interface have been upgraded for a better and easier experience. Additionally theme support has been greatly expanded so that Pixelated now works with a greater number of custom themes.

Slow OS 5.0 adoption rate

2010-02-23T18:16:00.003-05:00

The adoption rate for BlackBerry OS 5.0 continues to be slower than expected. When first looked at one month after release 61% of 9530 users had upgraded to OS 5.0.

An update to this study shows that the adoption of OS 5.0 is now up to 73%.

Still more than 1 in 4 users have still not updated to the newer OS, and at this point seem unlikely to do so.

Future BlackBerry Browser scores 100/100 on the Acid3 test

2010-02-16T15:29:00.004-05:00

Today Research in Motion showed a preview of their upcoming Webkit based browser which at the end scores a 100/100 on the Acid3 test. Video demo below.

BlackBerry has come along way in regards to the Acid3 test in a short amount of time. When I first looked at the BlackBerry's performance on the Acid3 test 9 and a half months ago it only scored a 54/100. Then along with the release of OS 5.0 just 4 months ago BlackBerry improved to 91/100 on the Acid3 test. It has since improved so that it now scores a 93/100.

Now it looks as if they have aced the test, and even more importantly is the speed at which it passes. Currently it takes over a minute to get to the full score, the speed in the video is much quicker than that. Overall javascript speed in the browser looks to be much improved, as well as pan/zoom speeds. Overall it looks to be a great improvement coming to the BlackBerry Browser, and hopefully will be released soon.

OS 5.0 on the BlackBerry Curve 8330

2010-02-02T12:45:00.003-05:00

A few models of the BlackBerry Curve 8330 are now being upgraded to operating system 5.0 which will make them compatible with the Hockey Scores and 10,000 Farkle applications. As this is older hardware, the applications may run a bit slower, but we are still happy to add compatibility for these very popular devices.

Hockey Scores updated to Version 1.6

2010-01-26T12:28:00.002-05:00

Hockey Scores for Blackberry has been upgraded to version 1.6 for all supported devices, and is now available for free through BlackBerry AppWorld.

The Hockey Scores app that is the simplest and most effective way to get NHL scores from across the league straight to your BlackBerry. It is lightweight and fast in order to give you scores and statistics can be updated as quick as possible, and require no effort your part.

Version 1.6 of Hockey Scores is supported on all BlackBerry Devices with OS 4.6 or newer. This makes the upgrade available to everyone who previously used version 1.3 or 1.5 of the application. The full list of supported devices at this point include the 8220, 8230, 8350i, 8520, 8530, 8900, 9000, 9500, 9520, 9530, 9550, 9630, and 9700.

10,000 Farkle released for BlackBerry

2010-01-21T20:17:00.009-05:00

10,000 Farkle is a dice game that requires both skill and luck. Points are awarded for various dice combinations, but if a roll fails to contain any combinations the turn ends with no points awarded.

4 Game Modes
-10 Turns
-10,000 points
-local pvp
-vs cpu

10,000 Farkle is available for the BlackBerry Storm, Tour, Bold, and all versions of the Curve with at least OS 4.6. The full list of supported devices are the 8350i, 8520, 8530, 8900, 9000, 9500, 9520, 9530, 9550, 9630, and 9700.

Farkle gives you six dice to roll and awards points for a straight, three pairs or three or more of the same number. Fewer points ares also awarded for each individual 1 and 5. Any dice that do not score can be re-rolled for additional points. If all 6 dice can be scored, all of the dice can be re-rolled on the same turn.

The skill in this game comes from knowing how far to push your luck, and which scoring combinations to take, and which to re-roll.

The default game mode gives you 10 turns to score as many points as you can. The 10,000 point mode is the traditional way to play, where the goal is to reach 10,000 points in as few turns as possible. The two competitive game modes "vs Friend" and "vs Computer" both use the traditional race to 10,000 points.

Hockey Scores for BlackBerry updated to Version 1.5

2009-12-15T08:34:00.002-05:00

Hockey Scores for Blackberry has been upgraded to version 1.5 for all supported devices, and is now available for free through BlackBerry AppWorld. In addition to resolving the issue the caused the service to temporally go down, a number of new features were added improving the battery life and providing additional game statistics.

The Hockey Scores app that is the simplest and most effective way to get NHL scores from across the league straight to your BlackBerry. It is lightweight and fast in order to give you scores and statistics can be updated as quick as possible, and require no effort your part.

New Features

Improved Battery Life
Face Off Percentage
Hits
Corsi Number
List of Goal Scorers
French Language Support
Font and Colour options

Supported Devices

Version 1.5 of Hockey Scores is supported on all BlackBerry Devices with OS 4.6 or newer. This makes the upgrade available to everyone who used version 1.3 of the application. The full list of supported devices at this point include the 8220, 8230, 8350i, 8520, 8530, 8900, 9000, 9500, 9520, 9530, 9550, 9630, and 9700.

Corsi Number

Unlike Hits and Shots on Net, Corsi Number is a bit of a more unknown statistic and could use some additional explanation. In short it is a measure of how much offensive possession a team has. The Corsi Number is named after Buffalo Sabres goaltending coach Jim Corsi who helped popularize the statistic. The Corsi Number is calculated as the differential in shots, including not just shots on net, but also missed shots, and attempts blocked. This can be calculated for either individual players or the for the team as a whole. The Hockey Scores application calculates this for the team, and also displays a "-" rather than any negative Corsi number in order to avoid overstating the difference between the two teams, as technically one team's Corsi number is always the inverse of the other team's.

Pearl Flip note

The Peral Flip version of Hockey Scores for the BlackBerry 8220 and 8230 does not display the goal scorers due to limitations in the screen size. All other statistics and options are however included.

BlackBerry OS 5.0 adoption rates

2009-12-08T01:08:00.004-05:00

On October 26th Verizon made OS 5.0 officially available for the Storm 9530. Simply having the a newer and better operating system available however does not mean that people will actually use it.

Given that we had a large amount of data available from users who downloaded the popular Pixelated application, this was used to analyze the uptake of OS 5.0 among this population.

A few notes on the sample set. Only Verizon customers using the original storm 9530 were looked at so that different roll out dates from other carriers would not affect the data. OS 5.0 had already been out a full work week before the start of this data to give a reasonable amount of time for those who wanted to upgrade to have that opportunity. Pixelated had already been available for the Storm for awhile at this point so these numbers are not skewed towards early adapters nor are the numbers skewed towards those that don't know how to use their phones as all, as this population has gone and downloaded a third party application. Data from the beginning of the month and the end of the month were treated the same.

The findings showed an OS 5.0 adoption rate of 61% on the BlackBerry 9530 over the month of November. While this is well over half, given the many noticeable improvements on OS 5.0 it is surprising to see the number of users still on 4.7

Hockey Scores BlackBerry App

2009-11-19T10:12:00.002-05:00

Now available for free in BlackBerry App World is the Hockey Scores app that is the quickest and most effective way to get NHL scores from across the league straight to your phone.

This is done in a simple and efficient way so that the scores can be updated as quick as possible, and require no effort your part.

The application is now available through BlackBerry AppWorld and supports most devices running OS 4.6 or newer. Supported devices include the Pearl Flip, Bold, Tour, Storm, and most Curve models. The full list of supported devices include the 8220, 8230, 8350i, 8520, 8530, 8900, 9000, 9500, 9520, 9530, 9550, 9630, 9700

BlackBerry App World - Hockey Scores

Pixelated Updates in App World to version 1.2

2009-10-28T13:08:00.003-04:00

Pixelated, a simplified but free version of Pixelated Plus has now been updated to version 1.2 in BlackBerry's App World.

This update expands the number of supported BlackBerries to include the 8900 Curve, the 9700 Bold, the 9630 Tour, and the 9500, 9520, 9530, and 9550 Storm.

Pixelated is a game of colour in which the object of the game is to change the colour of the squares until the entire screen is a single solid colour. This is done by using the coloured buttons on the bottom of the screen to change the colour of the square in the upper left hand corner and those surrounding it. Changing this square to the colour of those around it, allows it to slowly grow until it fills the entire screen. The ultimate goal is to do so in as few moves as possible.

While Pixelated lacks some of the advanced features found in Pixelated Plus, such as stat tracking and additional playing modes, Pixelated is still a fully functioning game with no limits on it's game play.

Pixelated Plus adds support for the BlackBerry Curve 8900 and the upcoming BlackBerry Bold 9700

2009-10-21T14:31:00.002-04:00

Pixelated Plus, one of the top rated puzzle games for the BlackBerry Storm and Tour, is now also available for the BlackBerry 8900 Curve and the upcoming Bold 9700.

Pixelated Plus is a game of Colour and Strategy. The newly released version 1.2 adds support for the 9700 and 8900. This update now displays the instructions when it is run for the first time and also addresses some font issues.

About Pixelated Plus. The object of the game is to change the colour of the squares until the entire screen is a single solid colour. This is done by using the coloured buttons on the bottom of the screen to change the colour of the square in the upper left hand corner and those surrounding it. Changing this square to the colour of those around it, allows it to slowly grow until it fills the entire screen. The ultimate goal is to do so in as few moves as possible.

The game has two grid sizes for varying the strategy of play. Win/loss percentages are calculated for all difficulty types and grid sizes, as well as for the all time best scores.

OTA AppWorld Link

AppWorld website

Pixelated Plus adds support for the BlackBerry Tour 9630

2009-08-27T23:54:00.000-04:00

Pixelated Plus, one of the top rated puzzle games for the BlackBerry Storm, is now available for the BlackBerry Tour as well.

Pixelated Plus is a game of Colour and Strategy. The newly released version 1.1 adds support for the 9630 and also addresses an issue with large font sizes.

About Pixelated Plus. The object of the game is to change the colour of the squares until the entire screen is a single solid colour. This is done by using the coloured buttons on the bottom of the screen to change the colour of the square in the upper left hand corner and those surrounding it. Changing this square to the colour of those around it, allows it to slowly grow until it fills the entire screen. The ultimate goal is to do so in as few moves as possible.

The game has two grid sizes for varying the strategy of play. Win/loss percentages are calculated for all difficulty types and grid sizes, as well as for the all time best scores.

OTA AppWorld Link

AppWorld website

Pixelated releases in BlackBerry App World

2009-07-14T10:30:00.000-04:00

Pixelated, a simplified but free version of Pixelated Plus, is now available through BlackBerry's App World.

Pixelated is a game of colour in which the object of the game is to change the colour of the squares until the entire screen is a single solid colour. This is done by using the coloured buttons on the bottom of the screen to change the colour of the square in the upper left hand corner and those surrounding it. Changing this square to the colour of those around it, allows it to slowly grow until it fills the entire screen. The ultimate goal is to do so in as few moves as possible.

While Pixelated lacks some of the advanced features found in Pixelated Plus, such as stat tracking and additional playing modes, Pixelated is still a fully functioning game with no limits on it's game play.

Pixelated Plus

2009-05-13T08:07:00.002-04:00

Pixelated Plus is a game of Colour.

The object of the game is to change the colour of the squares until the entire screen is a single solid colour. This is done by using the coloured buttons on the bottom of the screen to change the colour of the square in the upper left hand corner and those surrounding it. Changing this square to the colour of those around it, allows it to slowly grow until it fills the entire screen. The ultimate goal is to do so in as few moves as possible.

The game has two grid sizes for varying the strategy of play. Win/loss percentages are calculated for all difficulty types and grid sizes, as well as for the all time best scores.

OTA download.

Acid 3 on Blackberry

2009-04-29T10:12:00.005-04:00

Research in Motion's BlackBerry Browser scores a 54/100 on the Acid3 test. While not perfect this is respectable as it actually beats out Firefox 2 and IE8. In comparison to other phone browsers, it beats out Opera Mobile, but is right behind MobileSafari and Opera Mini.

Worth noting is that the BlackBerry Browser doesn't actually even fully pass the Acid2 test, but comes close, and due to the limited spacing is likely to intentionally not be fully compatable.

Disney Pictures: Epcot

2009-02-18T19:26:00.007-05:00

Epcot's Geodesic sphere

Epcot from the Boardwalk

Matsuriza Taiko Drummers in Japan

Epcot fireworks from the Boardwalk

The Boardwalk at Night

A Smile in the Clouds

Disney Pictures: Animal Kingdom

2009-02-07T17:16:00.008-05:00

Animal Kingdom

White Rhino

Expedition Everest

Crocodiles

Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse in the Magic Kingdom

Disney Pictures: Magic Kingdom

2009-02-03T20:23:00.009-05:00

Cinderella's Castle

Mickey Mouse

Pirates of the Caribbean

Country Bear Jamboree

Cinderella's Castle at Night

Obama post election

2008-11-22T14:20:00.002-05:00

Now that Barack Obama has been nominated as the President of the United States he has turned his attention away from foreign policy and is concentrating solely on sports. While his favorite sport is known to be basketball his attention has been elsewhere in the sporting world.

On the Monday Night Football the day before the election, Obama mentioned his support for a playoff system in college football. He was not exactly taking a chance by saying so, but now that the election is over he is pushing for this change far more then for any change to social security.

Also since the election, he was video tapped discussing the Arizona Cardinals with John McCain. Obama was very impressed with the passing game they have going, which to any NFL fans should not be too much of a surprise.

Also he has been pushing for the International Olympic Committee to host the games in his hometown of Chicago. Sports has been the thing that the president elect has been most concerned about, but I'm not to say that is a bad thing.

Boys Like Girls - Cute Is What We Aim For Concert

2008-10-24T22:45:00.008-04:00

Boys Like Girls, along with opening bands Cute is What We Aim For, and Lights played in Rochester, New York, at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) on October 12th. The stop was the second last on their Verizon sponsored Northeast college tour.

The concert was started by Lights (presumably not her real name), who had a good voice but was unknown to most of the audience. Still she played a decent length set, even bringing out a keytar for a number of songs.

The second band, Cute Is What We Aim For, was well received by the crowd, and had a number of fans who had made the trip from the band's nearby hometown of Buffalo, New York. The band played a mix from both of their albums. The largest crowd reaction came not from their well known hit "The Curse of Curves", but from their old song "There's a Class for This" and their new hit "Practice Makes Perfect".

The headlining band of Boys Like Girls played almost every song that they have, and also performed a cover of Frou Frou's "Let Go". The crowd knew almost all of the songs, and sang along with their hits like "Hero/Heroine", "Five Minutes to Midnight", "Thunder", and "The Great Escape". The lead singer had such a tenacity for throwing his picks into the crowd, that he had to stop the concert part way through, in order to restock. However, with only one album released, the Boys Like Girls ran out of material, and were unable to perform an encore.

Overall the night was a performance of great music, good performances, and a perfect example of why rock concerts should have a minimum age limit.

Version 2.0 of EBU

2008-08-19T10:58:00.002-04:00

Ebscer Batch Updater has reached version 2.0 along with a few new features. This is a tool which will automatically update a whole collection of files for you at once. You simply select the files that you wish to update, enter the text you want replaced, enter the new text that you want in it's place, and all of the files are automatically updated in one go.

New features added to version 2.0 include remembering what folder files were last pulled from using the program, and remembering the size and location of the program on the screen. It also includes the ability to create file lists so that groups of files that need to repeatedly be updated together can be quickly accessed. Also the program now includes an update function, so that any future advances to the program can be easily added.

*Download here
*Former versions found here

Summer Olympics

2008-08-10T21:22:00.002-04:00

Does anyone know why horse riding (technically Equestrian) is in the Olympics? Honestly this is not a sport. While the same could be said about gymnastics and diving, at least those take athletic skill of some sort. Equestrian on the other hand prefers that you compete well wearing a top hat.

The only reason I found this of course was due to nbcolympics.com and their streaming video of a ton of sports. The time zone difference of the games being in China, makes viewing hard, but the video viewer that nbc is offering is really cool. Not all sports are offered (swimming and volleyball are noticeably lacking) but it allows me to watch stuff like badminton and handball which would never be shown on tv.

The video player that nbc made works well (even on my slow internet connection), and really is only lacking a full screen mode. The other thing is it uses Microsoft's Silverlight. They have been trying to get people to download it and this may do the trick. I last downloaded a beta version of it, and was instructed to download a version 2.0 to view the video. Better still, it works fine in Firefox, which was a welcome surprise for me. No word yet if there is a working version for mac or linix, but I somehow doubt it. The other big surprise is the lack of advertisements. I'm not complaining, but if they wanted to place some adds between halfs instead of an empty field I really wouldn't hold it against them.

Right now I'm watching men's Field Hockey (Germany is up on China 2-1). I never knew that they even had field hockey for men. I watched part of a woman's game the other day and even that was far different from field hockey on the high school level. While they still use sticks that are way to small, the fact that they play on turn rather than grass, means that they can hit the ball a long ways, so the game plays more like soccer than the hackfest that it turns into when played on real grass. The men are getting almost constant breakaways on this fast surface despite the wetness, if this were real grass the entire field would just be mud.

I also saw woman's team archery yesterday (why is that a team sport?). The Italian team lead by Pia Carmen Lionetti (who is kindof cute) beat Chinese Taipei (which is what they say for Taiwan in these olympics). I'm glad I can get the oppertunity to watch this type of stuff, and to be honest this is what I expect all tv to be like in the future.

Ebscer MovieData (Version 1.0)

2008-07-18T10:23:00.003-04:00

MovieData is a program that helps organize everything that you would ever need to know about your favorite movies and tv series. MovieData allows you to create your own custom lists, and to keep private ratings about your movies while also seeing what others think of them. Additionally it provides you with all of the background data for your selected movies, and tv shows including cast lists, plot summaries, and writers, directors, studios, as well as runtimes and release dates.

Plans are in place to release a version 2.0 of this program around Christmas time. As such any requests for additional features are more than welcome. A new version of Ebscer Batch Updater is also in the works.

Tweetle Beetles

2008-07-15T19:31:00.001-04:00

When tweetle beetles fight there battles in a puddle, in a bottle, with their paddles and the bottle’s on a poodle and the poodle’s eating noodles, they call this a muddle puddle tweetle poodle beetle noodle bottle paddle battle.

Ebscer MovieData (beta)

2008-06-26T20:00:00.004-04:00

Finally working on a new piece of software. Ebscer MovieData is designed to give you information about movies from a number of online sources (mainly imdb.com) and allows you to store and compare information about movies on your computer or a local server. The current version is still very beta with version 1.0 expected to be released in early July. Download the beta version here. As it is a beta, please feel free to note any noticed problems in the comments here.

Known issues include

Will crash if not connected to the internet

Save functions not yet implemented

Sort functions not yet implemented

Other improvements scheduled for version one include

An options menu

Multiple movie choices will be moved to a popup

Improve ratings information (especially for tv)

Better tab ordering on controls

Marian Hossa's Big Decision

2008-06-12T21:58:00.001-04:00

Marián Hossa was a critical part to the Pittsburgh Penguins' run to the Stanley Cup finals this past season, but now he is the most sought after unrestricted free agent in the NHL.

The two teams most likely to pick Hossa up this summer are the Dallas Stars, and the Washington Capitals. Both teams made the playoffs this past season and are expected to next year as well even without any big moves this off season.

Read more on This Off Season's Most Coveted Free Agent...

Switchfoot concert

2008-05-06T12:40:00.004-04:00

I had the opportunity to see Switchfoot concert at Roberts Wesleyan College this past weekend, and it was pretty cool. Unfortunately I forgot my camera, so sorry, but no pics.

The opening band was Mae, who sounded good, but I really didn't know any of their stuff. Most of the (surprisingly large) crowd was also a bit lost with this band on stage, but it was more to do with unfamiliarity then the band not doing well. In fact early in their set they did play a longish instrumental song which sounded really cool, and should really be the background music to some video game. I thought the British band Athlete was also supposed to play, but apparently not, as they were no where to be seen.

Switchfoot came out and played a set that differed surprisingly little from when I last saw them two years ago. Even Awakening was already being played on that tour. They did play a few new songs, and actually started with "Oh! Gravity", and also played "Faust, Midas, and Myself" which is really good live. "Gone" has also changed a bit too. While "Gone" hasn't been played as it appears on record for quite some time now, it has strayed even farther from it's origins and now includes melodies by Beyonce and even a quick detour in Rihanna's Umbrella song. The fact that my favorite band is getting their inspiration from the hip-hop industry is a tad bit disturbing, but after Switchfoot covered Beyonce's "Crazy in Love", I've actually found myself even likening the original.

The best live Switchfoot song is still "This is Your Life". From Tim's opening bass line to Jon screaming through the guitar at the end, that song just rocks, and is awesome to see live. The set was a bit light on the acoustic side of things, but the encore was started with Jon singing "Your Love is Strong", which is a good song, and one I don't actually know yet as I've put off buying the Spring album until I can get it along with Summer. They also played their new Chronicles Of Narnia inspired song "This is Home", for which the movie is coming out in the next week or so.

The concert was alot of fun, even if I was rather far from the stage. Also, someone needs to teach Switchfoot fans how to mosh. I know it's not appropriate for every song, but it would go great with "Ammunition" and even the Sum 41 crowd stood still to sing along with "Pieces".

John McCain is old

2008-04-16T12:31:00.002-04:00

Not to turn this into a political blog, but Presidential candidate John McCain is really old. We get it already. Can't we just acknowledge this and move on? It almost appears as if the only reason not to vote for the guy is his age. That's not quite something that his campaign is going to deny, or try to hide. They also know that he is old.

There is alot of discussion and political humour going on in the run up to the presidential election. This ranges from commentary on CNN and MSNBC to comedians like Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and Jay Leno, yet the only thing that is ever said about McCain is that he is old. Yes it was funny the first time, and yes it may have been sufficient when there were 20 candidates on the Republican side and you could get away with a single joke. However these no longer apply. McCain is the only Republican left, and is one of only three Candidates left, and the joke has gotten old. While he clearly hasn't been presenting the drama that Obama and Hillary have there has to be something else to ridicule the guy about.

All of these McCain jokes are so old that Ben Franklin first used them...

Green Bay needs a new QB

2008-03-04T15:53:00.002-05:00

After 16 years with the Green Bay Packers Brett Favre has officially announced that he is retiring. While some people had been speculating about his retirement for years now, I had never really thought it was ever going to happen. Brett looked as if he was having so much fun playing that I didn't think he would leave the team until he was so old that he got himself cut. But instead Favre has surprised me and is now done with football. Since Favre took over the number one role in Green Bay the Buffalo Bills have had nine different starting quarterbacks starting way back with Jim Kelly. Too bad Favre wasn't willing to play another ten or so years. I at least would have continued to root for him.

Banks

2008-02-22T11:44:00.002-05:00

If my bank is only open monday through friday, and only from 9-4 when exactly am I supposed to go? It's not as if I work odd hours, in fact if I did it wouldn't be a problem. The paradox here is that the people who can't go to the bank are the ones who actually need to go in the first place. Without direct deposit this problem would be even far more troublesome.

Here is an (obvious but genius) idea. A bank that is open all day on Saturdays. Why no one has come up with this simple idea before is beyond me. A bank that is open on the weekend would be so convenient to so many people that they would get tons of customers. So, HSBC whenever you want to open up on Saturdays I'll be there to put some money into my account or something...

Su (version 3.0)

2008-02-02T10:27:00.001-05:00

After a longer than expected wait, version 3.0 of Su is finally available. Download the latest version here.

Download Su (3.0)

Version 3.0 of Su adds numerous features to the program such as advanced options, and the ability to undo your most recent solve. The new features for version 3.0 include reorganized windows, to better handle the default appearance of the help and about screens, including fade effects for XP users (every program already fades in Vista). The program also cleans up the default save folder of My_Documents/Su if it detects that it is not being used. Additionally there are more keyboard shortcuts, and an option panel, to allow you alter parts of the default behavior, such as turning on or off the new error alerts that warn you against giving the program bad input. The program also remembers it's location on the screen, and gives options for the pattern used for tabing through the boxes. The default tab order is horizontal, to change to reflect the default tab order in versions 1.5 and 2.0 change the tab order option to "boxes".

Former versions of Su are still available here. If you enjoyed this program also check out Ebscer Batch Updater and Desktop Running Back.

The Beginning of the End

2008-01-31T14:26:00.000-05:00

After almost a year Lost is finally coming back on the air tonight for the start of season four. It's been a long time since Charlie died and we got to see future Jack, but the show is finally back. Unfortunetlly season three was planed to be down eight episodes to only 16 and is now finding itself down eight more as the writers strike has prevented more than eight from being completed. The Second half of season four could very well be pushed back to the fall unless the strike ends by the end of February.

A few predictions for the next season and beyond, some the producers have hinted at, while some of these are my own random thoughts...

With the possibility to have flashbacks set in the future, we could see somebody's death in a flashback. I think this is almost guaranteed to happen.

Claire is not going to be happy that Charlie died. While this is obvious I have the feeling that this is going to leave her very messed up through the entire season. She won't want to leave the Island anymore, but eventually Desmond will convice her to do so.

Nobody is to be trusted. While this has been true in lost all along, I expect alot of people will be lying at a Ben like level.

Speaking of Ben, my gut feeling is that once this is all said and done, he will turn out to be on of the good guys (like he has always claimed to be). I may not like the idea, but I think it is going to happen.

On the other hand, I'm going to go back to season one thinking and say that Locke is evil. Jack may be wanting to go back to the island, but that doesn't mean that Locke is right either.

Remember the casket in the finale of last season? At the time I guessed it was Sawyer's, but now I'm thinking it might even be some character that we haven't even met yet. (Although there is the possibility that we never return to that scene and we never find out).

With Charlie finally dead, Desmond will lose his ability to see the future. However, he may develop the ability to see the past instead.

Flashbacks will be a mix of future and past depending on the episode, but I doubt that too often we will be left wondering which we are looking at. (I'm guessing the first episode shows the future...)

Remember to follow the most memorable quotes on Lost!

The Cloverfield Question

2008-01-08T09:22:00.000-05:00

All of the criticism for JJ Abrams upcoming film Cloverfield is based on the fact that nobody knows what the movie is actually about. The Question though is if that is actually a bad thing? Do people really want to know the entire plot line of the film before seeing it, or would they rather be surprised. We already know that it is a monster movies directed by one of the best in the industry. What more do you really need to know? If you want to see a monster movie or what not, you can go ahead and see the film, and watch it for yourself to find out the details. I actually hate it when they give away a major plot detail in previews, because then you spend have the movie just waiting for the scene you already saw to happen. I really don't see how not knowing the plot to the movie before seeing it is a bad thing...

Win - Win

2008-01-04T11:21:00.000-05:00

As the election season starts, leading up to the general election in November Iowa was a solid start. In a win-win situation, both Mike Huckabee and Barack Obama won their respective parties. The primary season is not over, but lets hope that these trends continue. If we get Huckabee and Obama going head to head next fall, than we don't even need to vote as we would win either way.

Christmas Songs

2007-12-20T18:42:00.000-05:00

Best five Christmas songs ever
* Carol of the Bells
* O Come, O Come Emanuel
* Faliz Navidad
* Where you there?
* A Merry Little Christmas

Worst five Christmas songs ever
* Santa Baby
* Christmas Shoes
* Baby It’s Cold Outside
* We need a little Christmas
* Grandma got ran over by a Raindeer

Update to EBU

2007-12-13T20:43:00.000-05:00

Officially announcing version 1.1 of Ebscer Batch Updater. A new version of EBU is available for download.

Although no future versions were ever planed, a bug has been found and fixed in EBU that prevented the delete key from working as expected inside the text fields. The delete key now works fully in version 1.1 of EBU.

There are still no future version of EBU planned. Version 3 of Su should be released within a week or two (depending on how much hockey I watch...)

Terragen

2007-11-16T23:15:00.000-05:00

I've been playing around with terragen some, and it's kindof fun. The program is available for download here.

Desktop Running Back

2007-11-09T17:04:00.002-05:00

Officially announcing the release of a new game, "Ebscer's Desktop Running Back". The simple (but fun) football game is based upon Mattel's handheld football game, but for you to play right on your computer.

Download here

Further questions answered in the FAQ. For any comments, further questions, or feature requests for version 2, please leave a note in the comments.

Also feel free to join the facebook group dedicated to this game...

Some XP users will need to download the .net framework from Microsoft.

FAQ -- Desktop Running Back

2007-11-09T14:53:00.000-05:00

Expanded help and Frequently Asked Questions for Ebscer's Desktop Running Back...

What is the error about needing a .net framework?
Some XP users will need this, download it from Microsoft here.

How do I control the Running Back?
Use the arrow keys.

I tried the arrow keys, why is it still not working?
You have probably worked on something else. Click on the Running Back to re-activate the keyboard.

I just got tackled, now what?
Press space or Enter to start the next play.

No matter how hard I run into the line I can't manage to break any tackles...
Nope, and that's not going to change. The Defence are very good tacklers, I would suggest running around them.

How do I run around the Defence, they seem to take up the whole screen...
I would suggest draw plays. Start your turn going lateral instead of charging straight into the line. Patience is critical to success in this game.

Why can't I get the Running Back to run backwards?
The running back only goes left, right, and forwards. That's it.

Why are you too lazy to program the Running Back to go backwards?
It was actually more work to prevent the Running Back from also going backwards.

So, I'm still not sure why I can't go backwards...
It's against the rules. Live with it.

How do I throw a pass?
You don't. It's not a running back game for nothing.

Hasn't Tomlinson thrown for like 10 TD passes?
Yes he has, but that wasn't in a video game now was it? You don't even have any Wide Receivers to pass the ball to.

Yea, where are all my Wide Receivers, and Offensive Linemen, and the rest of my team?
I'm not sure, but it doesn't appear likely that they will show up to help you anytime soon. Looks as if it's all up to you.

Wait, Why am I suddenly running for the other team?
You turned the ball over and it's the other team's turn. Ideally you'll have a friend take over and play for the other side.

What if I don't have any friends?
That's ok too. Just play for both sides, trying to pull off the long run is still just as fun...

Can I kick the ball? Punts?
No, only noobs punt.

This is too easy, How do I get more of a challenge?
Go to Options on the score board and adjust the Difficulty.

How do I control the Defence?
You don't, the computer takes care of that for you.

Why do all the defencemen look like they are Running Backs carrying the football? Did someone just fumble five footballs onto the field?
I'm not an artist. At least it's better then a bunch of little red dashes.

If I can draw some better graphics for you would this be fixable?
Yes it would. Hopefully I'll be able to get some better graphics from somewhere (maybe you!) for Version 2.0 of the game.

There is going to be a version 2?
Yes there is. Hopefully featuring better graphics, save/load options, and more difficulty settings, as well as a few other things.

Where can I get version 2?
Look for it hear on this blog. Expect it around late January.

Any chance that version 2 will feature full NFL rosters, realistic physics, a full 3-D environment, and the ability to draft new players?
No, go buy yourself a copy of Madden 08.

Do I have to pay money in order to play Desktop Running Back?
No, but if you want to send me money anyhow that would be cool...

Is it too cheap to give someone this game as a Christmas present?
Yes, it's a free game so it would be. Feel free to tell people about the game though...

I want to tell all my friends about this game, but I am to embarrassed to actually talk to people...
That's ok! I've set up a facebook group just for you.

My computer is telling me the game might be a virus, what do I do?
This program is safe. Some scanners may question it because it is an executable, but downloading and running this program will not harm your computer.

Why can't I play this game on my mac?
Because the game uses Microsoft's .NET framework. Do yourself a favour and go buy yourself a copy of XP.

How about Linux?
Check out something called mono, supposedly that should work. However, I can't say that I've actually tried it.

How was this game created?
I wrote this game myself in C#

What was the inspiration for Desktop Running Back?
The game was inspired by Mattel's Classic Handheld Football game.

Didn't Mattel make a sequel that included the ability to run backwards, throw, and other cool stuff?
Yes they did. Although more realistic, the game wasn't as fun and actually gave you less options each play. No time will be wasted trying to recreate that version of the game...

Is there an option to run the game on multiple monitors?
No, Mike, there is not.

I still have a question?
Ask in the comments, I'll answer it as soon as possible.

What if I have a bug to report or a feature request for version 2?
As long as you arn't asking for the ability to throw the ball, leave a note in the comments.

Rebuild

2007-11-02T15:51:00.000-04:00

Switchfoot has just released a new song titled "Rebuild" They have done this to benefit Habitat for Humanity along with their current "Appetite for Construction" tour.

All the tour is involved as the song actually even features Matt Thiessen from Relient k, and Dustin from Ruth.

Official Announcement of "Rebuild"

Lyrics to Switchfoot's "Rebuild"

Oh, Ah, Oh, We're the new generation
Oh, Ah, Oh, With time to kill
Oh, Ah, Oh, We're the regeneration
Oh, Ah, Oh, Rebuild, Rebuild

Brownback backs out

2007-10-20T14:56:00.000-04:00

Senator Sam Brownback who would have made an awesome president, droped out of the race yesterday. Brownback practiacally agreed with me one every issue that exsisted. Any how I guess it's up to McCain and Obama now...

Cheese Makes the World Go Round

2007-10-09T22:04:00.000-04:00

They say that it's cheese that makes the world go round, and they are probably correct. For some odd reason it is by far the most expensive thing in the entire supermarket. Good or not I don't know, but it's spinning that globe around in circles...

Buffalo Sabres

2007-10-05T17:16:00.000-04:00

The Buffalo Sabres start their regular season tonight. As such Tonight is also the official launch of my new Sabres blog. The blog titled Blue and Gold (of Buffalo) will contain all updates and thoughts on the team (and the NHL in general) that formally were showing up here. To kick things off I've ranked the top 26 players within the Sabres Organization, from Derek Roy to Michael Funk.

Ebscer Batch Updater

2007-09-26T16:42:00.003-04:00

I present to you the Ebscer Batch Updater (EBU), a tool which will automatically update a whole collection of files for you at once. You simply select the files that you wish to update, enter the text you want replaced, enter the new text that you want in it's place, and all of the files are automatically updated in one go.

* Ebscer Batch Updater v1.0 (EBU) can be downloaded here.
* Download Ebscer Batch Updater v1.1 (EBU) here

Unlike with Su there are not likely to be any future versions as the full functionality is already here. If however a future version is created, it will show up here. Version 3.0 of Su should be released soon...

Uneven Brackets

2007-09-22T11:49:00.000-04:00

The United States beat England in the first knock out round of the Women's world cup today. But England should not have lost out so early nor should the US have had to play such a difficult opponent. With the US and England playing in the first round with the winner taking on the champion of Australia and Brazil, it almost guarantees a weaker team to make it to the final. The US, England and Brazil are all easily the top three teams in the tournament. For all of these teams to be on the same side of the bracket is incredibly unfair. England deserved better than a first round knockout, but having to play the US, that what happened. Now the US and Brazil will have to play each other just to make it to the final, where they will receive no compitionn at all. And poor Australia, even if it can beat Brazil, would have to play against the US next, while being just a good as the team that will likely make the final in the opposite bracket. Hopefully they can learn how to seed things better next time around...

Ice Bowl to be announced on Monday

2007-09-13T15:49:00.000-04:00

In what is close to being the worst kept secret ever the NHL will be formally announcing and outdoor hockey game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Pittsburg Penguins. Knowledge of the game (being called the ice bowl) has been around for most of the summer by now but the NHL has yet to officially comment on it. Now the NHL has said that they will be at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Monday in order to "make a major announcement concerning a special event". I wonder what that could be? I just hope that the NHL is not surprised when everyone already knows about it, and when the NHL will probably be unable to announce anything new.

On a related not the Buffalo Sabres have revealed their new rbk edg jerseys have been revealed today...

US Soccer

2007-09-12T09:46:00.000-04:00

In their recent game against Brazil, the United States showed that they are capable of keeping up with the Brazilians who are traditionally one of the best teams in the world. The US actually lost 4-2, but keep it tied up until 15 minuites left in the game. Take away the own goal and a pk in stopage time then the game is tied. Everyone expected the Brazilians to play well (which they did), but the success and good play of the Americans came as a bit of a surprise to everyone. If they can maintain play like this then they are almost guranteed a top 8 if not top 4 spot at the next world cup. IN fact right now I would rank the US fourth in the world behind only Brazil, Argentina, and Italy. link to youTube highlights

Su (version 2.0)

2007-09-05T10:00:00.001-04:00

Version 2.0 of my Sudoku solver is now complete and available for download.

*Download Su v2.0 here

Version 2 adds a variety of features, from the ability to save and load sudoku puzzles, better handling of whitespace, better handling of window sizes, use of keyboard shortcuts, a check for contradictions in input, and the use of graphical icons within the file. Overall usability has been greatly improved.

A few ideas are still around for a version 3, such as the ability to "unsolve" and to keep track of if the current version has been saved or not. However, with less time on my hands it will probably be awhile before the next version is released.

Google News hosts it's own wire stories

2007-09-03T18:06:00.000-04:00

In a move that makes google news much more usable google is now hosting their own wire stories from the AP and such. This means that google is now redirecting such stories to their own pages and filtering out repeat results. The main benifit in this is that the site will no longer get swamped by AP stories in which nearly ever paper online reposts the exact same story, burying all but one or two other results. In addition google's page for hosting the stories is much more clean then that of the typical online newspaper. Reuters news is not included, but hopefully google news will filter out any repeats of that and link to only reuters.com lets hope the filter works as good as it should...

Switchfoot (super) Concert

2007-08-30T18:02:00.000-04:00

More at the Switchfoot database

Su (version 1.5)

2007-08-16T21:31:00.001-04:00

The next version of the SuDoKu solver that I created is now finalized.

Download Su (v1.5)

Version 1.5 has further functionality over version 1.0 in that the solver is better and more advanced, the program doesn't take as long to resolve partial solutions, and tabbing through the blanks now follows a logical order. It is still a windows only app, because it's based on the .net framework.

A start on version 2.0 is being begun. Version 2.0 is to feature a save/load option, and to further enhance the solving ability. Other features that version 2.0 may or may not support are keyboard shortcuts and the option to solve step by step. It will show up here when it's available.

Switchfoot leaves Sony

2007-08-11T00:30:00.000-04:00

Switchfoot and Sony BMG/Columbia have suddenly split ways mid-contract. The details (as interesting as they would be are not yet avalible). Anyways this is the end result of a growing riff between the band and the label, that I've been aware of for some time now but have avoided publishing in full for fear of hurting the band. However that concern seems to no longer exsist, so here goes. Following the release of Learning to Breathe (and the Walk to Remember Soundtrack which sold almost as many) Switchfoot signed a five record deal with Sony BMG's Columbia label starting with The Beautiful Letdown. The added plublicity of the major label helped propel Switchfoot to 2.6 million sales, all between the label and the band was good as the band began recording their next album Nothing Is Sound on the road. Switchfoot origionally planing for the title track of Happy Is a Yuppie Word to be the lead single, recorded a video for it. When Sony choose to release Stars as the single instead, Switchfoot accepted this and reshot the same video for the new song. However, Sony started getting on Switchfoot's nerves by leaking the song Stars to a few radio stations, before the band truly wanted to (perhaps to force Stars to be the first single). The real trouble started in September with the release of the album. NIS was found to be released with copy protected tracks that were difficult to access and listen to, and also instaled root kits on users computers. Switchfoot not a fan of DRM on their music, and Tim who has a computer science background quickly posted an elementary way around the protection (burn and re-rip). Jon would later say that the album was "tainted" by this and that for a time they had sony people following them around, scared that they were going to do or say something. Then the very next summer Sony decides that they want to rerelease NIS to boost sales with an added on track or two (assuming Circles and Faust). Switchfoot feeling that it would cheat their fans (which it would) and wanting to release their recently recorded Awakening decided to record and release an EP instead as a NIS rerelease would also likly postpone any future album's an additonal year. Sony ok's the project but then chooses not to release any singles from spring to late november (almost a nine month gap). Soon after the relase of Oh! Gravity Sony drops all support, and Switchfoot goes ahead and promotes and records a video for Awakening on their own. As I've said this has been a long time comming, it's just that I assumed that Sony wouldn't be willing to allow Switchfoot to walk, I'm just hopeing that Switchfoot didn't give up too much to get out...

Limited Time Offer...

2007-08-08T11:02:00.000-04:00

Duffield

2007-08-04T23:42:00.000-04:00

working on a new website now at campduffield.org. Hopefully the organization can take over running the camp and we can keep it open for next year...

To Be Continued...

2007-07-24T22:50:00.000-04:00

Web site after web site insists on doing this, and I don't understand why. Is there any reason that I have to click to page 2 to finish reading the rest of the story? Even if it is really long (which it usually isn't) there is no reason I can't just keep scrolling. I've already had to scroll to read past the first paragraph, so why not just the rest of the story? Come on, who wants to... (continued on part 2)

To Be Continued... (part 2)

2007-07-24T22:23:00.000-04:00

(continued from part 1) ...deal with this? Especially when there is no reason for it? The internet is not paper, and there is no reason the page can't be infinitely long. The horizontal scroll is a big no-no, but I have a special wheel on my mouse just for the vertical scroll. A little more text isn't going to mess up any file sizes and the extra click is just really really not needed... thank you, that is all for today...

Not Silent

2007-07-02T21:15:00.000-04:00

Here's a new game to not try: Silent Marco Polo. This game does not work at all. You end up having one person wonder around the water with no idea where to go, and everyone else doing a great job of doing nothing. Also you don't even say marco, or polo so the game as a whole is also quite misnamed. Regular Marco Polo still works great, so don't worry.

Avoiding Fees

2007-06-13T11:07:00.000-04:00

Bank of America recently launched a new campaign to educate it's users about how to avoid bank fees. It seems that they forgot one easy, and far more effective tip, leave their bank. I don't know if Bank of America is just trying to prepare themselves a bit of "i told you so" defence or what, but they arn't really helping anyone. I got charged over $30 for no reason when I banked there, and was even charged a few fees after I left. I had to go back four times just to get them to close out the account for good. Since then HSBC has charged me nothing for the same service. So here's some real advice to help Bank of America customers avoid fees.

Ducks win the Cup!

2007-06-07T11:04:00.001-04:00

I guess they were listening to my previous post... Anyhow they win, although I think McDonald should have gotten the Con Smythe as he did amazingly in the final two games there. Any how I'm glad that they won, and even more glad that ottowa didn't. Anyhow, congrats...

Calling all Ducks

2007-06-03T19:27:00.000-04:00

With a defence like Anahiem's how do you allow so many goals like that? You can't do that. You are still up in the series, but if you keep playing like you did in that last third period, you are never going to win again. The senators shouldn't have won the last two rounds, and have no business being in the finals. Please just beat them already, all of this give them a game here and there is just wasting time, and possibly even giving them a chance. You can't be responsible for all the dives they were taking, but you are responsible to get yourself some shots on net in the final 9 min of the game. Better luck next time...

Lost

2007-05-24T09:59:00.002-04:00

Season 3 of lost ended yesterday, a few thoughts...

Charlie dies, don't see why he couldn't have run out the door before closing it... would have worked out better. In a related note can the one eyed guy ever die? He almost turned on Ben this episode which would be welcome...

Speaking of which People aren't listening to Ben anymore, too many secrets. They didn't like to see him trusting Locke, and then disobeyed a direct order to kill Sayid and co. Richard, who has been around longer than Ben seems to be trying to silently retake power. I'm now sure that Ben knew nothing of the sawyer tip that was given to Locke. Ben seemed to lose every battle this episode...

Back to Sayid, I was really disappointed to see him surrender, I think he could have taken them. That said when Hurley plows on through Sayid still manages to take one out while tied up, by using his legs... The reactions of Bernard and Jin were perfect. Bernard was like "I hope they don't expect me to do that", while Jin was like "Wow, I really need to learn that move..."

Juliet is now firmly with the main group. Sawyer was always the biggest opponent of her being there, but now seems to trust her. Carl and Alex also seem pretty happy to be with them. Also glad to see Rousseau end the whole solitary thing.

On this family, I have to question if Ben is really Alex's father. Their stories don't match, Ben seems to be Alex's father in only that he stole her at birth.

On to the flashback (although it probably wasn't back), Jack is a complete wreck. There is something about the island that really bothers him, some unfinished business of sorts that he can't go back and fix. He flat out rejects any status of being a hero. Kate meanwhile seems to have moved on. I'm guessing that it was Sawyer in the casket, as he was a loner, and Jack expected Kate to be there at least.

On first watching I was having trouble placing the time of the flashback, and after wards even more. At one point Jack makes a mention of his father, strongly indicating that his dad is still alive, we don't know where his body is but I am fairly sure that he is at least dead. There is the possibility that what we are watching is Jack and Kates second visit to the island, but for that to be the case they've seemed to know very little about it.

Also half way through season 2 I said it would be neat if they got off the island with half a season to go. Now it is looking like that might actually happen, which will be a different, but good story line.

Concert

2007-05-19T19:55:00.000-04:00

Saw 4 bands in concert the other day, Red, Puddle of Mudd, Breaking Benjamin, and 3 Days Grace.

First band was Red, who no one had heard of, but were actually really good. Red only got to play 5 or 6 songs though which was disappointing. Puddle of Mudd is really well, known but there set was probably the weakest band to perform. The two headliners were who most everyone was there to see, and both Breaking Benjamin and 3 Days Grace both put on good shows. Glad to see the bands transition well to a live show.

Images

2007-05-14T14:05:00.000-04:00

I was playing around with some image editing stuff the other day, and felt the need to post this. Probably the best one I did, although with more time, and some daylight pictures I could probably even make it look better.

Technorati

2007-05-13T16:41:00.000-04:00

Technorati Profile

Checking out Technorati, which appears to be a cool blog helper/search tool.

Half way there

2007-05-07T22:56:00.000-04:00

Eight down and still eight more to go!

and also this for your round 3 enjoyment.

Switchfoot is Awakening

2007-04-17T23:07:00.001-04:00

Switchfoot has released a new video for their semi released new single Awakening. The video isn't as the best ever, but it is still an absolutely great song... enjoy...

SuDoKu

2007-03-29T17:04:00.001-04:00

I created a sudoku solver and don't really have anything to do with it, so I figured I'd give it away for free on my website. It's really cool you just type in the numbers and click solve.

So here you go!

requires Vista or XP-SP2 or an older XP version with the .net framework...

Update: for all the most recent versions/revisions look here

Lamest Hockey Game Ever

2007-01-26T01:41:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to NHL All-Star game MVP Danny Briere, the game was a bit lacking in defence, but it was more of a friendly match up and was fun. However, the young stars game the night before was horrendous. In the young stars game more or less anything could happen short of playing good hockey. There were constant breakaways, and the clock never had to stop except after goals. Even then the periods were only ten minutes to begin with. On one play three offensive players got down the ice, before a single defender could even get near, the goalie to his credit stopped the first two shots before being scored upon, but I'm blaming the defence. I bet most warm-up skates show more effort then that game did. So that goes down as the lamest game to ever be played upon ice (curling included)...

Counting Candles

2006-12-15T14:17:00.001-05:00

In an ever growing attempt to leave nobody out, Christmas is being presented along side Hanukkah, despite Christmas being available as a much funner holiday to everyone. The real problem with this though is that they get Hanukkah wrong, they surround there thing on the holiday with pictures of menorah's yet they all have seven candles. It looks cool, but it's ignorance actually offends the very few that it was meant to accommodate. Any Hanukkah menorah's will have nine candles while the seven candle version is not tied to the holiday. The ironic part is that nobody complains, as these displays are actually for those who want to be politically correct and don't actually care about any of the holidays.

YorkPhoto

2006-12-05T12:35:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to suggest YorkPhoto.com to anyone who wants to turn digital pictures into prints. Compared to most photo site this one it dirt cheap, and ships the pictures back to you pretty fast. This takes about the same amount of time and is cheaper then just taking pictures with film and giving it to kodak to print... thats all for now

Not a bad start

2006-10-29T10:55:00.002-05:00

The Buffalo Sabres finally came out of a game with out a win this season, but for the record they didn't exactly lose either. You may or may not think that it's a good rule, but technically the sabres got a tie out of their last game. (If you don't like the rule, join a different league), so they still have a nice big zero in the losses column. Not bad, and I'm pretty sure they will win at least the next three as well.

Thank you?

2006-09-21T15:08:00.001-04:00

When somebody does something nice for you such as opening a door, the polite thing to do is to say thank you. The person is stopping for a second to prevent a door from slamming into your face and so a few words of gratitude, are required to show the person your appreciation. However, if someone is holding open an automatically opening door is this really needed? Yes they are putting in the effort to be nice, but the door is going to stay open regardless of what they do. You don't really want to make them feel good for what they are doing, because all they really are accomplishing is making themselves look dumb for holding open a door that isn't going to close anyhow. But if someone holds a door open for you, the right thing to do is to say thankyou. Such a moral delema...

Chickens and Eggs

2006-09-03T21:21:00.001-04:00

Everyone is always asking "what came first the chicken or the egg?" There are many many problems with this question that I have trouble believing that this question is so popular. My first point is does it even matter? the answer to which is, of course, no. Secondly the very question itself implies an answer that the chicken came first. In asking the question the chicken is always mentioned before the egg. You never hear people ask, "what came first the egg or the chicken?" My final point is the most import. This is in all respects a false choice. The question itself assumes that either the chicken or the egg came before the other. It is entirely possible that both the chicken and the egg came at the same time, rendering the correct response to the question to be neither.

Honestly why don't people ask more important questions like why the sky is blue? That's what I really want to know...

Mute Math resolves lawsuit

2006-08-16T09:53:00.001-04:00

Mute Math has finally come to an agreement with Warner Brothers, so they will be able to finally get their newest disc released nationally, and hopefully get some radio play. What took Warner so long to come to an agreement is beyond me. Mute Math never had much to lose, as they were selling out their tours, playing on the vans warped tour, and sold around 50,000 copies of their album without any distribution at all. Why would they not want this band on their label. The album will be rereleased in late September...

Blue and Gold

2006-07-01T14:07:00.001-04:00

The Buffalo Sabres have announced that they are "returning to the blue and gold" which on it's own would be ok. I'm actually more of a fan of the newer red and black jerseys, but I don't wouldn't really mind if they returned to the old jerseys. In fact I would prefer that they rotate between their normal jerseys, the old jerseys and even the red jerseys. Unfortunately they will do none of the above. They have said that they are "returning" to the blue and gold, but despite that navy blue isn't black, it isn't really blue either. The proposed new jerseys have and ugly clashing navy blue and yellow, and that isn't even the worse of it. The new logo is some sort of futuristic stramlined half wantabe buffalo thingy. So everyone go write Gollisano a letter and let him know how ugly these are... otherwise we might be stuck with this logo for a few years... (also note the need to resign McKee in that letter...)

The end of the story...

2006-05-04T15:42:00.001-04:00

I've realized that there are a lot of half stories on this page, so I am going to end them all up with one big post... Sabres have beat philly in the first round and will be playing ottawa... the Switchfoot concert was amazing as expected... Wikipedia is now over 1.1 million articles (and still growing)... the Firefox trial was a success, and I am using it right now... and finally the music blog is up (see link on the side -->), but that doesn't get updated to often... and thats it!

I've said this before...

2006-04-29T17:27:00.000-04:00

How many times do I have to say this? Why does nobody ever learn? It is such a simple concept. Illustrated beautifully in game four of the Sabres Flyers series. NEVER PULL THE GOALIE!!!! In game three the sabres pulled the goalie and the flyers got an extra goal, and an additional 20 seconds or so that could have been used in trying to win the game could have been utilized. But in game four it was even worse, with 40 seconds or so left the goalie heads to the bench and the flyers go from being up by one to being up by two. A few seconds later Brier scored a goal for the Sabres! If you had only kept the keeper in the net it would have been tied and sent into overtime. But no that didn't happen. Why does the NHL lack common sense?

Playoffs

2006-04-22T23:08:00.001-04:00

I always don't say that the only thing more exciting then overtime is double overtime, but the Sabres had a two point lead. They did win but overtime is more fun when it is a comeback as opposed to way more excitement then was really necessary. Calling it first here, Sabres in 5 games...

Switchfoot Concert

2006-04-08T15:59:00.000-04:00

Concert will now be in t - 5 days...

Summer

2006-03-28T16:33:00.001-05:00

First Day of Summer today! Which really just means that I have to go and buy a new pair of sandals...

Pirates of Disney

2006-03-16T23:20:00.001-05:00

This July seventh the sequel to pirates of the carrabian is coming out, and by itself it is exciting. The first movie was good and hopefully the second will be as well. However there is some bad news as well. Disney has decided that to promote the movie they need to gut the entire existing theme park rides and rework them to include captain jack sparrow and the others. I'm sorry but that was a good ride already, I really hope that at least keep that song, but either way I get the feeling that the new and improved ride will be junk.

One Million

2006-03-01T19:41:00.001-05:00

The English language Wikipedia has now reached one million articles with the addition of Jordanhill railway station. Of course due to trying to make the millionth article more impressive then it really is and including the number of handicap parking spaces (two). Anyhow wikipedia is amazing and this is just another milestone.

Switchfoot's new video

2006-02-24T13:39:00.001-05:00

Switchfoot has finally released their 'official' video for We Are One Tonight. Early information about this video said that it was supposed to include three things, a poodle, a ladder, and the colour blue. Well I saw the ladder. Please let me know if you saw the others, although it doesn't really matter. Best part of the video has to be the first 20 seconds or so.

VP's with Guns

2006-02-14T20:26:00.001-05:00

As expected the media has gone wild jumping on the no story that Dick Cheney shot someone. However, what doesn't make sense is that a quick google search for 'Dick Cheney' now brings up articles on Aaron Burr, who has an extra letter at both the beginning and the end of his name. Cheney first VP to shoot someone since Aaron Burr, come on, you have to be joking. There is a bit of a difference between a hunting accident and a duel. You knew the press was going to have fun with this story, but this is just ridiculous.

Of all places, Denmark?

2006-02-03T21:27:00.001-05:00

Yes, little Denmark is now where freedom is being upheld. To protest the fact that many writers were scared to draw a picture of Muhammad, a news paper in Denmark decided to print a whole page full, to make a political statement for free press. (Link Here). Now five months latter the Muslims are all going crazy. Tolerate drawings? No. Tolerate free speech? No. Off with the hand that drew this! Actually, kill him! No, lets just destroy the whole country! And they wonder why nobody likes them. Who ever thought that Denmark would be the one taking the stand? Well, I have to say that it is a good thing they are refusing to back down to all of the hate coming out of the middle east, as that is what would really make things ugly. Well all of Islam is now blowing things up, crying and (according to the AP) "torching boxes of Danish cheese". So please support free speech and go on to eBay and buy a box of Danish blue cheese.

RSS this!

2006-01-29T20:49:00.001-05:00

You can actually get RSS feeds for this blog. Yes, I know what you are thinking, that this blog just isn't that important, and I believe you, but thats the point. If you have firefox it's just one or two clicks, and you can get it with other browsers as well, but for a random blog like this? Well, go ahead try it, you can be instantly updated on my most recent ramblings. So go for, give it a try!

Wikipedia

2006-01-15T16:55:00.001-05:00

Today, is wikipedia's 5th birthday!! Everybody go celebrate!! and then go and visit Wikipedia! Ok, thats all that I got for today...

ebscer

Best Movies of 2011

Where I was in October

Open letter to Switchfoot

The Past year of BlackBerry OS usage

The making of a Salad

BlackBerry Statistics

news.ebscer.com

Pixelated Plus 2.3 adds new features

Alternate Colour Schemes

Replay Games

Clear Statistics

BlackBerry Torch Support

Links

Twinkle for BlackBerry

Pixelated Plus updated to Version 2.2

Pixelated for Pearl 9100 and 9105

10,000 Farkle Version1.1

Smoother Animation

Achievements

Backup/Synchronization

How to play

Supported Devices

More Information

Video Demonstration

Pixelated adds support for Bold and Curve with Version 2.0

Greater Device support

Achievements

Synchronization

Interface Improvements

Pixelated Plus Version 2.0

Move Counter

Greater Device support

Achievements

Synchronization

Interface Improvements

Slow OS 5.0 adoption rate

Future BlackBerry Browser scores 100/100 on the Acid3 test

OS 5.0 on the BlackBerry Curve 8330

Hockey Scores updated to Version 1.6

10,000 Farkle released for BlackBerry

Hockey Scores for BlackBerry updated to Version 1.5

New Features

Supported Devices

Corsi Number

Pearl Flip note

BlackBerry OS 5.0 adoption rates

Hockey Scores BlackBerry App

Pixelated Updates in App World to version 1.2

Pixelated Plus adds support for the BlackBerry Curve 8900 and the upcoming BlackBerry Bold 9700

Pixelated Plus adds support for the BlackBerry Tour 9630

Pixelated releases in BlackBerry App World

Pixelated Plus

Acid 3 on Blackberry

Disney Pictures: Epcot

Disney Pictures: Animal Kingdom

Disney Pictures: Magic Kingdom

Obama post election

Boys Like Girls - Cute Is What We Aim For Concert

Version 2.0 of EBU

Summer Olympics

Ebscer MovieData (Version 1.0)

Tweetle Beetles

Ebscer MovieData (beta)

Marian Hossa's Big Decision

Switchfoot concert

John McCain is old

Green Bay needs a new QB

Banks

Su (version 3.0)

The Beginning of the End

The Cloverfield Question

Win - Win

Christmas Songs

Update to EBU

Terragen

Desktop Running Back

FAQ -- Desktop Running Back

Rebuild

Brownback backs out