Look how beautiful randomly generated terrain can be.

At long last, Minecraft Beta has been announced! The program has been chugging along in alpha for so long now, everyone thought Beta would never exist.

Apparently, the game’s Beta is set to launch on the 20th of this month, just in time for the holidays! The beta promises a mod API (for all you modders out there), a narrative early on to help people get started, a late-game goal to try to work towards, among other things.

But get it now!

With the release of the beta, the price will double. Plus, if you get it after the Alpha is done, you will have to pay for future releases! According to WordOfNotch.com (The developer’s blog,) :

We will also change the license to remove the line that promises all future versions of the game for free. Please note that this change only affects people who buy the game after December 20, so if you got the game for during alpha, you will still get all future updates for free, despite this change. A promise is a promise.
Buying the game during beta will include all updates up until release, of course, and bug patches will be free.

In other words, get it now.

[WordOfNotch.com]

Sorry I haven’t posted in a while. I have a lot of new sites and great music I’d like to blog about at some point (like www.jsFiddle.net and Movits) but for right now, I’d like to share some great local talent.

From time to time, I like to promote friends of mine. Seriously, promoting talent is really important to me. A lot of talent often goes wasted because it simply isn’t noticed. I blogged about a few of my friends before, and I’d like to do another for you right now.

Brandon: Pittsburgh’s rising DJ

My friend Brandon started a DJ business in Pittsburgh, and he’s been tearing it up for a while, DJing at local clubs and parties. He’s actually pretty good. He’s released a few original tracks (check them out below) a while a go. He had me build a website for him, and since he’s one of my first few clients, I figured I’d help get him some hits on his new site. So, check out his new site, icentertainment.net. If you’re interested in booking Brandon, all the information is on the site for you. He keeps his twitter account, @djice412, updated so you can check out news, events, and public performances if you want.

I’m trying to convince him to let me put some of his music up here. If you want to really want to hear his music, post a comment and I’ll see what I can do. He’s talented, but really wants to make a good first impression (which I totally agree with).

icentertainment.net
Follow him on twitter
Check him out on Youtube
Like him on Facebook

It just got better.

THAT’S RIGHT. Immunet 2.0 is out, public, and fantastic with a new community feature, making fighting virii even more fun.

How it works

Alright, this is kinda neat. Like most antivirus programs, it works by running two kernel drivers. One driver monitors files, while the other monitors the program itself to make sure it’s still working. Additionally, it saves space, time, and speed by only monitoring disk activity, like program installations and executions. But the majority of the scanning takes place online, which

By default, the program will block programs after they’ve been executed or files after they’ve been moved, but you can set the program to check everything before it takes any action which, according to Immunet, will only take 200 ms per check. That’s damn fast.Any new virii detected on your computer are added to the cloud, so the more people that use Immunet, the better each individual person is protected. The idea is that as viruses get more and more advanced, the Immunet network will adapt to match them, all-the-while providing light and responsive client software to its users.

On top of that, Immunet has added this neat community feature, allowing you to track how many viruses you’ve stopped. You can add friends to your “network” to increase protection between your computers. You even get a score based on how many threats your computer has stopped and how many people are connected to “your network.” If you want, grab a copy of Immunet, drop me a comment and I’ll add you to my network.

Speed

Speaking of fast, the program runs two different kinds of scans. One is a typical file scan, which works well. The other is a “flash scan,” which scans only active files and processes to see if your computer is actively being influenced/impacted by a viral process. It’s super fast. They’ve ranged from a minute to three minutes.

It only takes 200 milliseconds (1/5 a second) to send a request to the cloud, process it, and have it sent back to your computer. Just saying.

Compatibility and cost

The software will run on ANYTHING with a screen and a keyboard, I swear to God. You pretty much need a computer that will run your operating system: If you have Windows XP, the minimum processor speed is 300 Mhz. I haven’t seen a computer that slow since… well, never. It only needs a quarter of a gig of ram, and it takes up 10 MB of hard-drive space. Seriously. If your computer turns on, it will run Immunet. You do need a dedicated internet connection to connect to the cloud, though, and part of the software’s display is powered by Internet Explorer 7, so you do need to have at least IE 7 installed. The software displays how much processing power and memory it’s using on the side of it’s panel, so you always know how efficiently it’s performing.

Better yet, Immunet will run with virtually any other antivirus program without causing any sort of interference. I have it running with a copy of Norton 360, and it hasn’t conflicted at all. However, Immunet itself does in fact function very well as a stand-alone antivirus program. It can run full-system tests, and it monitors computer activity, just like a normal antivirus program would.

There is a paid version of Immunet, which I’d highly recommend buying. It allows for offline scans and rootkit removal, making it more of a stand-alone antivirus program. It also scans and protects your emails, IM’s, and archived files. It’s $20 for a 1 year subscription for 1 computer, but if you add on years or computers, the cost per computer per year goes down pretty sharply.  To protect 3 computers for the next 2 years, I’d only have to pay $40. That’s a pretty good deal.

Conclusion

Alright, my only critique about the software is that while it’s incredible, it doesn’t have a ton of users (compared to other antivirus companies). That’s where you can help. Download Immunet for FREE and start really protecting your computer.

Get Immunet

I laughed so damn hard when I heard that the new iPhone drops calls and destroys recording quality, not to mention any of a whole slew of other problems (including SIM, Mic, Camera, and proximity sensor issues). To top it all off, the thing is built out of balsa wood and fillo dough. The thing’s back shatters from even a 1 foot drop, which is fairly depressing. And no, they won’t replace your iPhone if yours has shattered. Sorry.

It gets even better, though. Rumor has it that Apple has promised to fix a lot of these issues, which seem to be caused by the iPhone’s too-underthought hardware, with a firmware update. That’s like saying your computer will have a bigger hard drive after you finally upgrade to Windows 7 from Windows XP. Granted, it’s a huge rumor, and Apple could certainly dispel a lot of criticism by announcing their progress. But when Apple tells people how to hold their phones correctly, under penalty of dropping their calls, things get a little ridiculous.

Does anyone else think this is recall territory? I mean, really?

Charlie Slum – Outro

Download audio file (Outro.mp3)

Charlie Slum – So Easily Forgotten

Download audio file (So-Easily-Forgotten.mp3)

Yeah, yeah. I’ve been doing a lot of music promotion recently. You’ll live, I’m sure. That being said, I’ve been getting interested in a few young, local artists as of late, and wanted to help them get word of their music out. The latest and greatest is Cameron Bell, also known as “Charlie Slum.” He’s really a brilliant self-produced rapper from Pittsburgh. His mixtape, “The Headband” is coming out in 2 days (the 15th), so I’m really excited for that. He mixes mainstream beats with some truly unique lyrics to create some fantastic music. Plus, he’s passionate about what he does. His music is personal, which really adds to the whole experience. Seriously, give his stuff a listen.

Check out his Facebook Page

Listen to him on MySpace

GET THE MIXTAPE! [OUT 5/27]

See that "root#"? That means that my interest in the iPad just doubled.

Thats right. It’s been roughly 24 hours since the release of the iPad jailbreak, and it is already jailbroken. What does it mean to be jailbroken? It means that all the files on the iPod can be edited and modified, new files can be created and deleted… Essentially, its file system has been unlocked, or “Jailbroken.” The dev team that engineered the iPhone/iPod touch 3.1.3 jailbreak used the same security loophole to jailbreak the iPad. They ran an SSH server on the device, and then wirelessly logged in through a computer.

Here is the initial tweet announcing it all.

New iPad specs leaked?

According to the Dev Team, a new iPad is already in development. According to an informant, the device will be slightly smaller and will have a speech codec, probably to support audio streaming in things like voice calls. So, think iPad mini with voice (maybe even video) chat.

Here’s a quote from the site.

The iPhone DevTeam has been passed confidential internal information relating to the next version of the tablet computer the ‘iPad’. An upcoming redesign of the iPad tablet computer will miniaturize the device so that it will be able to be carried on the user’s person (such as a pocket or small bag). Also a radical move to add a minimum of a 13 kbits/s speech codec to the miniaturized tablet variant is planned.

The inclusion of the voice codec will allow the user to directly utilize the GSM nomadic network, allowing person to person communications directly using your mini-iPad from anywhere dramatically speeding up the usual typed email or instant messaging capabilities that the iPad offers today.

It is the plan of the iPhone DevTeam to target this device as soon as it is released.

Click here for the Dev Team’s website.

Reposted from September 19, 2009

You’ve gotta listen to this.

So, after doing some listening to Muse’s new album, “The Resistance” (released on Tuesday), I decided that one of the songs, called “Undisclosed Desires,” had a pretty interesting hip-hop-ish beat. After thinking for a little, I wondered if any of Jay-Z’s songs from his “A Capella” album matched up with the Muse song. Sure enough, “What More Can I Say” fit like a glove. Naturally, I wanted to smash both songs together as best I could, so I threw them both into Sony Acid Pro 7.o and played around with them for an evening or so. What did I get? I got a little piece I like to call “Something More to Say.” I am rather impressed with it; Its nothing insane, and I’ll never be as good as, say, GirlTalk or DangerMouse, but at least its something to keep me entertained for a while, right? Regardless, here’s the song. Have a listen, and let me know what you think.

Warning: The song contains adult lyrics that might not be suitable for younger people. And if you’re a younger person, why are you even ON this site? Go play with Legos.

Download audio file (something_more_to_say.mp3)

Share it up!

I slapped a  Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License on the song, so share it as much as you want, edit it (if you really want to), just don’t try to sell it, and just mention that I made it. Seriously, spread the word, mess with it as much as you want, do whatever; isn’t that what the internet is for? So, share it up, do whatever. I believe the content used in this song is covered under fair use, and if I am in any way, shape, or form, infringing on copyright laws, my sincerest apologies, and maybe we can work something out. If you want to download the song, just click here! How hard was that?

Additionally, check out the video here.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehzQeNyHCzI

Review me!

It does me no good to have a song on my site and have NO one tell me whats wrong with it. So, post a comment, be brutally honest, whatever you want. I just want to know what people think of the song. As of right now, I’ve already modified the song to match some people’s critiques and fix some leveling issues (the bass at 0:56 in the song is way too heavy, and causes the song to ‘crunch’).

Links:

Download the song (right click and select “Save As”)
View my album art.
The bare-bones drum loop I used (and modified)

What else?

The forums are powered by BBpress, a really light, simple, and powerful forum package created by the fine guys who coded WordPress. I’m hoping to integrate it better with my blog (i.e. having a new forum thread every time I post something).

All of the forum’s actual functionality is there, for the most part, but some of the visual stuff could be changed a bit. For one, it’s too light. For another, the bbpress logo is still there. And I need a link back to my blog, somewhere. But I’m working on it, I’m working on it.

Supported models

• iPod Touch 1G
• iPod Touch 2G
• iPhone 2G
• iPhone 3G
• iPhone 3GS (With old bootrom)

NOTE: The iPod Touch 3G (AKA the iPod Touch 2G MC) is not supported. Don’t try it. Additionally, it is recommended that iPhone 3G and 3GS users with new bootroms (iBoot v. 359.3.2, or any iPhone 3G/3GS released during or after October 2009) don’t attempt this. Wait until an “official” jailbreak for the new bootrom is out.

Things you need to download.

• Sn0wbreeze (Version 1.5.1 at the date of this post)
• iREB (Version 3.1.2 at the date of this post)
• Firmware v. 3.1.3 for your device.
• The latest version of iTunes.

Tutorial, plain and easy.

1. Make sure iTunes is up to date (Version 9.0.3.15 at the date of this post)
2. Update your iPod/iPhone to version 3.1.3 if you haven’t already.
3. Back up your iPod/iPhone by syncing it with iTunes.
4. Download the 3.1.3 firmware from Felixbruns.de under the “iPhone/iPod Touch” section. Make SURE to select the right model.
5. Plug in your device. Close iTunes if it opens.
6. Run Sn0wbreeze.exe
   
7. Select “Expert Mode.” I’ll walk you through some of the advanced features. Hit “Next”
8. Browse to your downloaded firmware and hit OK. Sn0wbreeze will analyze it and display an image of what kind of device the firmware is for. Make SURE you have the right firmware or you’ll have to start over.
   
9. Select “General” and hit the next arrow.
10. If you use iBoot, or like to change your boot images (for whatever reason), check “Make IPSW NOR-Only”. Otherwise, select whether or not you want the Sn0wbreeze app (I recommend it). Leave your root partition size at 750 MB’s. You shouldn’t need much more unless you have a specific reason for it. Then, click Next.
    
11. If you want to activate your phone (i.e. use it with a different carrier than AT&T) you can do this on the next screen. When you’re done, select next.
12. On the next screen, you can select what installers you want. Cydia will be installed by default, and you have the option to install “Rock”, a “full-service” iPhone App Store. Its worth giving a shot; I installed it. Hit next.
13. On the next page, you can pre-install any apps you want. Click the “Manage Sources” tab to add sources. Click the “Download Packages” tab to browse through sources and download any packages you’d like, and then select any downloaded packages you want to install on the “Select Packages” tab. When you’re done, click Next.
14. On the next screen, you can select custom boot images. If you have your own boot or recovery images, click “Browse” and select your boot images. They can be at most 100 kb’s, and should be 320×480 pixels (but they can be smaller if you’d like). When you’re done, select Next.
15. When you’ve done all that, you’ll be taken back to the original screen. Select “Build IPSW” and click Next.
    
16. Sn0wbreeze saves the custom .ipsw to your desktop and titles it “sn0wbreeze_[your device].ipsw.” You’ll now need to restore your device to this firmware. Again, make sure iTunes is closed. Turn off your iPod or iPhone.
17. Sn0wbreeze will now walk you through the DFU mode. If it doesn’t, click “Help” at the top left hand corner of the screen and select “DFU Mode.”
18. Follow the instructions on-screen to put your device in DFU mode. iTunes should open and say that a device in “recovery mode” is connected. Your device’s screen should be black. If it displays the “Connect to iTunes” image, you’ve done it wrong and need to start over from step 15.
19. In iTunes, click your device on the left-hand side. Hold down shift and click “Restore.” It will prompt you to select your firmware. Browse to the sn0wbreeze .ipsw file on your desktop. Select OK, and your device will be “restored” to the jailbroken firmware.

Get an error when you restore?

A lot of people, including myself, got an error (1600, 1601, 1602, 1604) when you tried to restore. If you sure your device was in DFU mode, and you’re still receiving these errors, you’ll need to use iREB to “block” these errors and let iTunes think its restoring everything as planned.

This is what iREB looks like.

1. Put your device in DFU mode. iTunes will open; make sure it thinks your device is in recovery mode. Your device’s screen should be black.
2. Close iTunes and start iREB. You won’t need to open iTunes again until this process finishes.
3. In iREB, select your device. iREB will crash, and your device’s screen will turn solid white or red. This is normal. Its fine. Let it go. Once your device’s screen is white or red, go to the next step.
4. Open iTunes. Your device should still appear as in recovery mode in iTunes, and your device’s screen should be red/white. Select your device from the left-hand side, hold shift, and click restore. Browse to the sn0wbreeze custom .ipsw, select ok, and you should be good to go.

Further questions?

Post them below. I’ll do my best to answer them as soon as I can. If you can’t wait, check out my article on how to fix jailbroken devices. It’s helped a lot of people, and its the first thing I turn to when my iPod is messed up.

Recently, I went to check my Google Voice account on my iPod Touch and noticed that they had a totally new interface. No longer is the interface old, crusty, and un-useful. All your conversations are easily viewable, and, like the computer interface, conversations are clustered together, with older text messages hidden. And, better yet, you can CALL people from your device now (that is, if its been activated as a phone on Google voice). You pretty much have all the functionality that you have on the computer interface, plus a bigger number pad.

The one thing that did briefly trip me up is that when you log on; Google asks you for your device’s number. If you are on a phone that isn’t registered with your Google Voice account, select “This phone’s number is not listed,” which will allow you to proceed to your inbox.

Why is this funny?

Well, way back when (i.e. a month or two ago), Google made a really really great iPhone app for Google Voice. Granted, there had been a jailbroken one for a while, but thats another story for another time. Apple (or AT&T) saw this, thought it would kill their bandwidth and hurt their phone service, and so veto’d the app. Google promised to release a webapp with the full functionality of the appstore app. And they did. Go google.

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