http://www.smiffysplace.com/ RSS Feed for Smiffy's Place en (C) Copyright 2001-2008 Matthew Steven Smith Matthew Smith http://www.smiffysplace.com/open-source-midi-control-surface I am in the process of designing a simple MIDI control surface, all design information to be released under a Creative Commons license. Matthew Smith 2008-11-27+09:30 CMOS;Flash;MIDI;Microcontrollers;Music;Software;Technical;arts;controller;digital;embedded;logic;microcontroller;microprocessor;music http://www.smiffysplace.com/mysql-51-general-release-at-last MySQL 5.1.30 is released - the first general release (non-beta). Matthew Smith 2008-11-27+09:30 Software;Sun;database;databases;sql http://www.smiffysplace.com/duck-with-puy-lentils-and-wild-rice A duck dish I created for my birthday, preserved here for posterity and when I can't remember the recipe next time. Matthew Smith 2008-10-31+09:30 Food & Drink;Life Without Gluten;alimentation;allergy;canard;caneton;coeliac;drink;duck;epicure;epicurean;food;gluten free;gourmandisme;gourmet;intolerance;lentiles vertes du Puy;nutrition;sans glutene;senza glutine http://www.smiffysplace.com/web-accessibility-techniques-workshop-in-adelaide-on-20-november-2008 Vision Australia is running their popular Web Accessibility Techniques workshop in Adelaide on 20 November 2008. Matthew Smith 2008-10-29+09:30 Accessibility;Social Inclusion;Software;Technical;adaptability http://www.smiffysplace.com/sql-o-matic This is about the fourth generation of this programme that I have been using over the last few years to generate SQL and Perl code based on a MySQL database schema. The idea behind this is much repetitive coding can be eliminated - the ouput of this programme can be tweaked/corrected and then cut and pasted into an application. Matthew Smith 2008-09-16+09:30 BSD;Linux;MySQL;Perl;Software;Solaris;Technical;Unix;operating systems;stored procedures http://www.smiffysplace.com/amazon-mp3-and-vaporware Still no sign of MP3 sales from Amazon.com to international customers. Is this just Amazon Vaporware? Matthew Smith 2008-09-15+09:30 Commentaria;commentary;competition;current affairs;iTunes;market;music;news;sales http://www.smiffysplace.com/gluten-free-pasta-getting-closer The latest essay in making gluten-free pasta hits far closer to the mark. Matthew Smith 2008-07-09+09:30 Food & Drink;Life Without Gluten;alimentation;allergy;coeliac;drink;epicure;epicurean;food;fuisli;gluten free;gourmandisme;gourmet;intolerance;maccheroni;nutrition;pasta;sans glutene;senza glutine;spaghetti;vermicelli http://www.smiffysplace.com/the-brasserie-happy-circumstance Smiffy takes an unplanned dinner at The Brasserie at the Adelaide Hilton and is quite delighted, to say the least. Matthew Smith 2008-07-08+09:30 Food & Drink;Life Without Gluten;Reise;Travel;alimentation;allergy;coeliac;drink;epicure;epicurean;food;gluten free;gourmandisme;gourmet;intolerance;nutrition;sans glutene;senza glutine;travel;voyages http://www.smiffysplace.com/adelaide-hilton This is not an article about Paris' less-famous sister, but a brief review of Smiffy's stay at the Hilton in Adelaide, South Australia. Matthew Smith 2008-07-08+09:30 Reise;Travel;accommodation;auberge;hospitality;hotel;travel;voyages http://www.smiffysplace.com/paralympics-new-zealand-one-for-the-rogues-gallery If any organisation should be aware of accessibility issues, a national Paralympics organisation should be. At the time of writing, the web site of Paralympics NZ is a disgrace. Matthew Smith 2008-06-05+09:30 Accessibility;Accessibility Rogues Gallery;Social Inclusion;accessibility;adaptability http://www.smiffysplace.com/nixie-kitchen-timer Smiffy designs a retro-look kitchen timer to suit his needs. Matthew Smith 2008-05-13+09:30 Food & Drink;Nixie;Technical;alimentation;clock;clocks;cooking;drink;epicure;epicurean;food;gourmandisme;gourmet;interval;kitchen;neon;nutrition;timekeeping;timer;timers http://www.smiffysplace.com/stir-fried-duckling-breast-with-orange-and-carob Recipe for Smiffy's stir-fried duckling breast with orange and carob, served with a fake duck-stock risotto. Matthew Smith 2008-05-12+09:30 Food & Drink;alimentation;canard;caneton;drink;duck;duckling;epicure;epicurean;food;gourmandisme;gourmet;nutrition http://www.smiffysplace.com/book-review-the-short-bus A review of Jonathan Mooney's book 'The Short Bus'. This review has been written to coincide with Blogging Against Disablism Day 2008. Matthew Smith 2008-05-07+09:30 Against Disablism;Books and Literature;Social Inclusion;accessibility;adaptability;arts;disablism;discrimination;learning disabilities;literature;publications;social inclusion;special education;special needs http://www.smiffysplace.com/dilbert-goes-inaccessible A new version of dilbert.com is launched - it is not good, accessibility/usability having become worse and thus judged worthy of a mention in my Accessibility Rogues' Gallery. Matthew Smith 2008-04-20+09:30 Accessibility;Accessibility Rogues Gallery;Visual Arts;accessibility;adaptability;art;cartoon;cartoons;design;funny;graphic;graphics;humor;humour;office;phb;pointy haired boss;satire;visual art http://www.smiffysplace.com/enter-the-eyeprod Smiffy meets the eyeProd, er, iPod Nano. Matthew Smith 2008-04-19+09:30 Apple;Music;Sennheiser;Technical;Walkman;arts;cans;headphones;hi-fi;hifi;high fidelity;mp3;music;personal hifi;player;recording;stereo http://www.smiffysplace.com/foxy-add-ons-tab-mix-plus Tab Mix Plus is a Firefox extension that allows enhanced control over tabbed browsing. Matthew Smith 2008-04-19+09:30 Firefox;Mozilla;Software;Technical;Thunderbird http://www.smiffysplace.com/the-solstice-clock-part-1 What is a clock? What is a calendar? How can one do the job of the other? In this series of articles, Smiffy describes a project in which an everyday quartz clock is converted into a solar calendar - the Solstice Clock. Matthew Smith 2008-04-08+09:30 Autumn;Autumnal;CMOS;Fall;Flash;Microcontrollers;Seasons;Software;Solstice;Spring;Summer;Technical;Vernal;Winter;astrolabe;calendar;digital;embedded;equinox;equinoxes;hora;horologia;horologium;horology;hour;kalendar;logic;microcontroller;microprocessor;solstices;time;timekeeping http://www.smiffysplace.com/a-year-of-weights Smiffy reflects on a year of weight training. Matthew Smith 2008-04-08+09:30 Gesundheit;Health;Krankheit;Personal;Weighty Matters;bodybuilding;exercise;fitness;health;healthy;illness;infirmity;malade;maladie;malady;powerlifting;pumping iron;sante;sickness;sports medicine;sports nutrition;weight lifting;weight training;wellness http://www.smiffysplace.com/vmware-no-developer-should-be-without-it After some ten years since being told about the joys of VMware virtualisation, Smiffy finally gives it a go and wonders how he ever coped before. Matthew Smith 2008-03-31+09:30 BSD;Linux;Software;Solaris;Technical;Unix;operating systems;virtual machine;virtualisation;virtualise;virtualization;virtualize;vm http://www.smiffysplace.com/rice-worms Smiffy prepares fresh rice pasta. Matthew Smith 2008-02-10+09:30 Food & Drink;Life Without Gluten;alimentation;allergy;coeliac;drink;epicure;epicurean;food;gluten free;gourmandisme;gourmet;intolerance;noodles;nutrition;rice;sans glutene;senza glutine http://www.smiffysplace.com/am-i-too-slow This article tells how the accessibility and usability of web content may be impacted by speed issue from various causes. The article goes on to explain how speed may be measured or estimated and how the various causes may be addressed. Presented as content for the February Newsletter of the Guild of Accessible Web Designers (GAWDS). Matthew Smith 2008-02-08+09:30 Accept-Encoding;Accessibility;Apache;C;PHP;Perl;Technical;adaptability;bandwidth;cache;caching;compress;data compression;gzip;mobile devices;mobile web;rich media;scripting languages;speed;web content http://www.smiffysplace.com/sun-to-buy-mysql Sun Microsystems announces that it is going to buy MySQL AB. That's rather exciting. Matthew Smith 2008-01-18+09:30 BSD;Commentaria;Linux;Software;Solaris;Unix;commentary;current affairs;news;operating systems;solaris;sun http://www.smiffysplace.com/chris-jarmer-at-air At the bottom of Adelaide's David Jones department store is a restaurant which we must have walked past any number of times. Yesterday we walked in and will be doing so again in the future. Matthew Smith 2008-01-18+09:30 Food & Drink;Life Without Gluten;alimentation;allergy;coeliac;drink;epicure;epicurean;food;gluten free;gourmandisme;gourmet;intolerance;nutrition;sans glutene;senza glutine http://www.smiffysplace.com/weight-training-and-chronic-fatigue-3 The third and final part in the series about Weight Training and Chronic Fatigue. Matthew Smith 2008-01-16+09:30 Gesundheit;Health;Krankheit;Weighty Matters;bodybuilding;exercise;fitness;gym;gymnasium;health;healthy;illness;infirmity;malade;maladie;malady;power lifting;powerlifting;pumping iron;sante;sickness;sports medicine;sports nutrition;strength training;weight lifting;weight training;weightlifting;weights;wellness http://www.smiffysplace.com/weight-training-and-chronic-fatigue-2 The second part in the series about Weight Training and Chronic Fatigue. Matthew Smith 2008-01-15+09:30 Gesundheit;Health;Krankheit;Weighty Matters;bodybuilding;exercise;fitness;gym;gymnasium;health;healthy;illness;infirmity;malade;maladie;malady;power lifting;powerlifting;pumping iron;sante;sickness;sports medicine;sports nutrition;strength training;weight lifting;weight training;weightlifting;weights;wellness