How to make a super-cool satellite picture background for your PC, complete with accurate cloud cover and sunlight position!

Today I'm going to show you how to easily create a super cool desktop like this, where an image of the earth (supplied by NASA) updates every 3 hours to accurately reflect the suns position and the weather!

Pretty neat eh? It's cool to watch the suns passage across the earth and have a graphical representation of the global weather situation. All you need are two programs, called SeqDownload and Automatic Wallpaper Changer. There is a program that supposedly does all this in one but I found it somewhat clunky to be honest... however it's called xPlanet (there is a Windows version created by Markus Korner, http://www.mkoe.de/content/view/17/40/). Anyway SeqDownload can be downloaded from http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/seqdownload.html and AWC from from http://awc.smurphy.co.uk/. I'll include some screenshots of the relevant settings required, starting with SeqDownload.

This is the main SeqDownload page with your active download on it:

...and the main settings for the download:

Notice that the URL/file name has been set to http://static.die.net/earth/mercator/1600.jpg which is the World Sunlight Map page, kindly created by the good folks at die.net (http://www.die.net/earth/how.html), and that the download folder directory is C:\Users\user\Pictures. You should also set it to download fairly regularly so it's accurate. Make sure to change the "start download from" to "continue until" for a decent interval, and don't forget to change the "Downloaded Filename" to "Save to the same filename every time:" or it won't work. Next you need to set it to display the automatically downloaded file as your background, so start up Automatic Wallpaper Changer (http://awc.smurphy.co.uk/download.htm):

You need to start by clicking "Add file(s)":

Select the 1600.jpg file now being downloaded by Seq. Next set up the preferences:

Notice how it's set to automatically start on Windows log in and without a splash screen. You should also change the time interval for download to something short so it is accurate. Luckily you can also change some very interesting options in the "image effects" section, such as altering the lighting, contrast and gamma as well as changing the sharpness of the image. One quite cool setting indeed is that of the "transparency" option, in this click "Alpha Blended Fade", then select Right to Left, (or Left to Right) and it will darken the relevant side with a black shade making it much easier to see the outline of any icons there.

Pretty nifty eh! Technology in action. You can also set it to download the image showing the spherical earth as it would appear from outer space, again updated for sunlight and weather from http://www.die.net/earth/hemisphere.html, or indeed any other image that regulary updates.

Location, Location, Location.

It's a phrase you often hear in a real estate context, naturally meaning that the location of the property is the most important thing to consider. However I think there are other contexts within which location should be considered and ways it should be looked at. For example, if you're renting and there's a nice convenience store nearby, with plenty of sugary snacks or alcohol easily available is that a good location? What about the location of your flatmates if you're sharing accommodation, and they have parties at all hours and are always drinking the last of your milk? Contrary to popular wisdom location isn't as fixed and permanent as it might at first seem. A property in a good location can change overnight - you may choose a great neighbourhood but what if the council approves a new landfill or some nice tall buildings to block the sunlight? What if you're sharing accommodation at a backpackers in a nice central area, the location of that bread, milk or coffee you bought yesterday can suddenly become a mystery if your fellow travellers have sticky fingers. Or if your bed is located next to someone with a serious case of sleep apnoea it brings a new meaning to the importance of location not just on the map but within the premises Also, depending on when you inspect the room you may not realize just how often those trains go past (promoted as being close to transportation in the advertisement), bells ringing and wheels grinding. Picking a commercial location for your offices can be just as fraught with dangers. A new and "exotic" company may open shop next door, or a purveyor of racy literature. Location, Location, Location has a lot of wisdom inherent in it. However what is within that location, what might change about it and most of all a holistic mindset should be focussed upon when making that all important decision. 

Hello world!

Later on I'll elaborate a bit on who I am  and what I think, but for now I'll just talk briefly about reading, friends and books.

I've always had a definite fascination with the printed word and spent far too much of  my formative years reading a wide variety of genres. This fixation has been a constant feature right throughout my life, although it does ebb and flow a bit. Books, papers, online articles, blog posts... I am a voracious reader and love to learn new words (and how to use them properly.... I usually succeed).

Trumping my love of the written word is my strong and enduring interest in people. I greatly enjoy learning about their personalities, idiosyncrasies, likes, dislikes, origins, current activities and all the minutiae that we carry around with us. Do you think that perhaps people can be compared to books in some ways? They both have a front cover that's carefully constructed for general consumption, contents of varying varieties and differing quality as well as an appendix - unless they've had it removed. Meeting new people is like picking up a book - the cover catches your eye so you decide to have a look. You flick through the pages at random at first, just have a quick glance at whatever happens to be there. Then perhaps you go to the contents page and take a more methodical approach. Ask your friends if they've read it or even do some internet research. If it looks to be engaging, entertaining or just interesting you either make a note of the title for later purchase, check if the library has it, order it online or if you really can't wait visit a local bookshop the same day.

Old favourite friends are like old favourite books too, you keep them close by on a shelf and relish having another read of your favourite passages on different occasions. If you're feeling generous you might loan it to a friend who might find it a good match. With both books and friends - it's probably impossible to have too many.