Use CCleaner and winapp2 to clean out the junk left behind by Steam installers, temporary files, cache files and more. Before you run this make sure you play all your Steam games at least once or you’ll have to “verify integrity of game cache” of each which will force a download of the install files again. The UI is basic, you can click a box to select all games plus Desura and Steam install files so I went for the big one. I saved 17GB of space by deleting Desura game cache files I didn’t know I could delete. I […]
Android , Photography , Photos
Raw DNG Samples from the Nexus 5
Android L, the next major release of Android will allow apps to get raw data from the camera. This lets photographers extract more information and develop photos a lot more than they could with simple Jpeg files. They’ll be able to “push” the image further to recover blown out highlights and recover detail from shadows. At least that’s the theory. You’re still working with the relatively small lenses and sensors in camera phones so they’re not going to compare to a DSLR or dedicated camera but images will get closer in quality. This thread on r/Android has some samples of […]
Linux
Go on back to Linux will ya!
I’m back in the world of Linux on my desktop machine again. Well, mostly. Desktop Linux has been a “thing” for so long now it’s a cliche but I used it as such for well over a decade and it wasn’t until I was lured away by the shiny games offered by Steam that I installed Windows on a machine. Well, time passes and Linux support for games improves. Many fabulous indie games now have Linux versions. I’m glad I can play Kerbal Space Program, Prison Architect, Papers Please, Luftrausers and more without booting into Windows! I’m mostly back in […]
Games
The prisoners are escaping!
Prison Architect is a game where you design and run an ever expanding prison. It’s still in early access but the developers bring out a new update every month. The latest update introduced random characteristics for new prisoners. For example, some will be volatile and cause a riot for no reason at all. Others will be stoic and pay no heed to any sort of punishment given. Imagine a prisoner who was volatile and stoic? They also apparently increased the chance of a prisoner trying to escape using a tunnel. That’s why my guards perform a shakedown of the prisoners […]
Health
Snake oil salesman pitches to Dragons Den
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYgGPh28ZnE His magic water cures cancer and many other ailments. Sounds legit! Update! Steven Novella writes about The Miracle Cure for Everything in an excellent SBM piece. The reality check of science may be disappointing to our emotional desires, but at the same time it has given us the actual ability to prolong life and improve quality of life significantly. I personally would never trade the hard-won knowledge of science for the comforting fictions of the cure-all.
Web
Is there a PHB at Reddit?
When I read about what what happened to the remote workers at Reddit my blood runs cold. Did management take a lesson from the Pointy Haired Boss in Dilbert’s office? I can’t imagine how poisoned the workplace at Reddit must be now that everyone has had an ultimatum to move to San Francisco or be fired. I’m a big fan of the site but it leaves a sour taste in my mouth. There’s a boss there somewhere who wants to make life as difficult as possible for the people who helped make that site what it is today.
Health
Stories from a homeopathic manufacturing plant
Take this with a grain (or essence) of salt because it’s the Internet but some of these stories were too good to disappear.. I have worked at a homeopathic manufacturing plant. Yes, there is always a starting material, however sometimes it can get really shady. Homeopathics are regulated by the FDA under CFR 211, so if you make stuff up (like lie about having a starting material), and they find out about it, you’re in big trouble. For most herbals, the actual herb is purchased, then tested to make sure it’s the right variety. This can mean TLC (thin layer […]