RES Blog

HDR Test 2

2011-01-31T23:27:00.000Z

When I couldn't sleep last night I thought I would have a play on my new Canon 550D and ended up trying out HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography. This is where you take a set of images all exactly the same, but changing the cameras exposure in each one. When these photos are put together using image editing software it creates a "perfect" image where nothing is over or under exposed.
The first one I did last night was just of my bedroom so there wasn't much depth to it, making it look a bit crappy. Tonight I made a new one that looks a bit better, I am hoping to do one in the day light tomorrow though which should look a lot better. Here is the one I made tonight:

Skype 5.0 Beta for Mac

2010-11-06T13:19:00.004Z

Finally Skype has bought out an update to Skype so it no longer looks like it is running far behind the windows version.
The Beta is now public and available to download from the Skype site here.

Skype 5 for Mac new features:

Redesign
We've redesigned Skype Beta for Mac to make your life simpler. The new single window frees up your desktop and makes it easier than ever to find the contact or conversation you're looking for.

Effortless search
By integrating your Mac address book, it's easy to find the people you want to talk to.

Group video calling (beta)
Get together with more loved ones and colleagues than ever before over a group video call.

New call control bar
Manage calls from a mini Skype control bar that sits on top of any web pages, documents or photos you've got open.

The redesign has both good and bad features, good in the way that is is all in one window, which makes navigation easy, but bad in the way that you can't just have the chat window open which becomes a problem if you are using it on a small screen like a laptop and want to have different programs open side by side. The other problem with the redesign is the amount of blank space in the conversation window between messages, so it takes up a lot more space than is needed. The "whitespace" as Lifehacker calls it can easily be removed however by a nice plug-in from Pongsocket. The tutorial and plugin from Pongsocket can be found here, and handy tutorial video from Lifehacker can be viewed here.

The other features will be useful but the only other impressive one is the group video calling which I think will be great, and I am suprised they have taken so long to add it to their program, being beaten by iChat who don't even have much of a history in audio and video calling!

Facebook Chat on iChat (and other Jabber clients)

2010-11-03T17:01:00.005Z

Facebook chat can now be used in iChat (and other Jabber compatible chat clients) meaning no more having to always keep the facebook page open and all the constant problems that chat always seems to get on the facebook page.
Using iChat also means you will get proper notifications of when you receive a message or a contact comes online instead of a tiny pop that doesn't always seem to work. And don't worry about having a stupid amount unorganised contacts in your list because iChat will grab your chat groups from facebook and organise them all just like on the normal chat.
Unfortunately you can't set facebook chat to offline whilst using iChat otherwise it will sign you out of both, but you can still close the webpage if you don't want to be notified twice (or you can turn off the the little pop noise if you click on options in the chat window then uncheck play sound for new messages).

Here is how to set it up on iChat:

Go to the iChat menu and select "Preferences."
From the "Accounts" tab, click the "+" and select the following settings:
• Account Type: Jabber
• Account Name: your Facebook username@chat.facebook.com (to find out your username c lick here)
• Password: your Facebook password
Click down to server options and select the following settings:
• Server: chat.facebook.com
• Port: 5222
• Uncheck "Use SSL"

Troubleshooting:
One problem a lot of people seem to be having with Facebook on iChat is after setting it all up and signing is is a pop up coming up saying:
iChat can't log in to chat.facebook.com because your login ID or password is incorrect.
The only way to fix this at the moment seems to be to change your facebook password as there is a problem with iChat and the Facebook servers, and changing your password seems to fix it.
After changing it you can just change it straight back to your old one again and it still seems to let you login in.

Enjoy a facebook chat that actually works :)

Got my mac all set up for editing

2010-05-04T10:00:00.001Z

The camera isn't mine but everything else is :)

Took a photo of a mini not knowing a guy was sat inside!

2010-03-19T20:11:00.002Z

So iwas walking along and as people know i often take photos of nice cars and i see this really nice Mini John Cooper parked up so i take a photo only to realise whe i got closer there was someone sat inside, woops!

I guess the stupidly small vans do have their advantages!

2010-03-04T16:43:00.001Z

SNOW DAY!

2010-01-06T10:54:00.000Z

It has finally sniwed in Totnes! It sucks though because I have so much writting to do and work tonight which is just round the orner from me. Growing up ,akes life so boring!

Pirate watching Don't download this song

2010-01-05T00:06:00.001Z

My cat pirate watching the Weird Al music video for don't download this song.

Satio upload test & new shoes

2009-12-09T16:55:00.001Z

Huge sceen at Eddie Izzard Live

2009-11-25T13:10:00.003Z

I was on the huge projector screen at Eddie Izzard live in Cardiff!

Just a few games consoles

2009-11-25T13:10:00.001Z

Yes i live in a house of geeks, and its great!

Christopher Walken Reads Poker Face by Lady Gaga

2009-11-07T19:00:00.003Z

This video of Christopher Walken reading Lady Gaga's Poker Face is so funny, I love the "OH!... OH!... OH!" bit in the middle.

The original song by Lady Gaga: Poker Face on YouTube

Amazing Pumpkin Carving

2009-11-05T20:32:00.004Z

This must have taken ages to make! I find the classic smile and eyes take long enough.

Source: LOL Email

Glasgow Diamonds Rap Video

2009-11-05T13:33:00.000Z

A funny rap video by the american football team, The Glasgow Diamonds.
(Ends when the big blue square appears on screen).

Source: Why, That's Delightful

I have a new mountain bike!

2009-08-13T23:02:00.000Z

Last Friday was pay day, I got drunk, went on ebay and bought a 14" Saracen Instinct 2 mountain bike for going dirt jumping. It wasn't the cleverest thing to do, but it got delivered on Tuesday.

Then I put it together with Lyd.

On Wednesday I took it up to the track in Torbay, it was so nice to ride.

I even got it off the ground!

Mountain Biking Album

2009-08-06T21:22:00.002Z

Surfing in polzeath

2009-08-05T14:54:00.001Z

On the train

2009-06-18T17:50:00.000Z

Sat on the train on my way to Ireland watching The Fresh Prince.

Sent from my Sony Ericsson C905.

Pimped fire van

2009-05-28T11:07:00.001Z

I saw this pimped out fire van in exeter, it was part of the exeter summer festival, im not too sure why the fire service pimped it out but i wouldnt mind a van like it.

I want this car and licence plate!

2009-05-14T20:40:00.001Z

I love vw beetles and this ones licence plate even starts with REU.

Giant Doctors Tenis Racket and TV Remote

2009-05-10T23:17:00.002Z

I saw this giant tenis racket in Trago Mills and really wanted to buy one, it would be perfect for Giant Dr on Scrubs but it wasn't for sale :(

But I did buy this Jumbo TV Remote!

How to Download Songs from iTunes Network Sharing

2009-03-25T15:24:00.000Z

Using a freeware open source application called OurTunes it is possible to download songs from the shared part of iTunes, which normally you can only listen to other peoples music on that are within your subnetwork. This piece of software is perfect if you live in a halls on a university campus, a boarding school, a shared house, an office or anywhere else on a network with a lot of people using iTunes. This application is similar to myTunes, but it still works with the latest version of iTunes, unfortunately myTunes is no longer being updated. OurTunes works on both Windows and Mac using Java filesharing technology to hack the iTunes sharing and allow you to stream and download music from other peoples computers on your network.

OurTunes Screenshot:

Here is how to use OurTunes to download songs from iTunes music sharing:

1. Download the latest version of Java from the Java Website (unless you already have it).

2. Download the latest version of OurTunes from the Save OurTunes Blog.

3. Start both iTunes and OurTunes.

4. Select a download directory in OurTunes (Options>Set Download Directory...).
The computers on your network will start popping up in both iTunes and OurTunes.

5. Select the computer you want to download music from in OurTunes.
OurTunes will now create a duplicate entry in the iTunes list of computers (although sometimes there will be an error and it will call the computer "Tunnel" but this wont stop it working).

6. Select the duplicate computer in iTunes.

7. Play the songs you want to download using iTunes.
You do not have to play the entire song, it will normally download in a few seconds (often before the song even starts playing).

8. Open up your download folder and drag the songs back into iTunes.

9. Enjoy your new selection of music.

Extreme Sheep LED Art

2009-03-25T12:40:00.002Z

I heard about this on BBC Radio 1 and just thought it was such a great original idea.

Click here if you can't see the video

Horrible camo metro

2009-03-25T02:38:00.001Z

Some great parking

2009-03-18T23:21:00.001Z

The Peugeot was parked there all afternoon!

A squirrel!

2009-03-18T23:16:00.001Z

A squirrel came really close to me at Barry Island!

Bob ran over a cat

2009-03-18T23:15:00.001Z

Bob the builder ran over a cat in his digger!

Remote Control Formula 1 Car

2009-03-10T18:27:00.004Z

A remote control formula 1 car controlled by the Blackberry Storm accelerometer!
This is obviously an advert by blackberry and/or McClaren but it is a nice little video and would be so cool if it was real!
(Click here if you can't see the video)

The Cashmachine Runs Windows!

2009-03-10T18:17:00.000Z

This cash machine runs windows! And what a suprise it has crashed!

Bob ran over a cat

2009-03-10T12:24:00.001Z

Bob the builder ran over a cat in his digger!

I want to hack my VCR

2009-03-02T12:47:00.003Z

Check out all the cool stuff you gan get out of your old VCR!

Click here if you can't see the video

Chandler in the snow

2009-02-02T23:07:00.001Z

My rabbit in the snow.

Jazz with snow on her!

2009-02-02T20:00:00.001Z

Crisp cox!

2009-01-31T20:44:00.001Z

Some wanker smashed one of my headlights!

2009-01-27T11:34:00.001Z

Probably the best lorry in the world

2009-01-27T11:26:00.001Z

Broke my first plate

2009-01-24T19:32:00.001Z

Look at the lil sporty car

2009-01-22T17:04:00.001Z

I is so little but still all sporty!

Will you marry me?

2009-01-19T18:13:00.001Z

Thanks to Joe for sending me this image.

Don't Answer The Phone While Ironing or Play with Explosive Hammers

2009-01-14T20:46:00.004Z

Click here if you can't see the videos

Thanks to Jo for sending me the videos

It lies!

2009-01-11T23:41:00.001Z

It pretends to be like henry but its not, it lies! And what sort of name is numatic?

Pirate got stuck in a tesco bag

2009-01-11T11:39:00.001Z

My cat pirate went to sleep in a tesco shopping bag but got stuck in the handle when she tried to get out.

We're not worthy! Wayne's World is back!

2009-01-08T00:22:00.002Z

Click here if you can't see the video

Wayne's World was on the 2008 MTV Movie Awards and they haven't changed at all in the 14 years they were gone, except Garth has pubes!

Testing Picasa Photo Uploader

2009-01-06T13:48:00.000Z

My bedroom at Uni

Speights beer tshirt

2009-01-06T00:51:00.001Z

A tshirt i got from Lydia

Sony Ericsson Mobile Blogging Upload Error

2009-01-06T00:40:00.003Z

I had a few problems getting my new Sony Ericsson C905 to send pictures to my blog, every time I tried to post something my phone would say Could not create and publish blog post. Try again? and when I went into the sent message folder it said I was trying to send it to www. which obviously isn't going to work, the website it should be saying it is being sent to is the address of your blog e.g http://res-res.blogspot.com.
After spending ages searching the internet for a fix but only finding people posting the problem but not way to resolve it I decided to try and fix it myself.
I spent ages trying out different settings but in the end fixed it by doing a master reset and choosing reset settings and now it uploading all my photos perfectly.
I hope this can help people that have been having the same problem.

New Phone

2009-01-06T00:15:00.005Z

I have got a new mobile! (Well I have had it for a month now but haven't be able to use the internet on it)
It is the Sony Ericsson C905:

I think it is a great phone, it can do so much (half of which is a bit pointless, but still fun, like TrackID™, an application that will record a small piece of music, send it off to a website then tell you the name of the song and artist) and has the most amazing camera on it.

On the radio

2008-10-23T23:32:00.002Z

Me and a friend are starting a radio show on Radio Noize, the radio station at my uni.
We have a lot to sort out such as what we are going to actually talk about, a name for the show and what music we are going to play in under a week, our first show will be Wednesday the 29th from 16:00 till 18:00 (under a week!).

Click here to listen live

Smart Car Mods

2008-09-08T19:59:00.003Z

Smart Monster Truck

Pimp's Smart Car

Smart fortwo/67 Shelby Mustang GT500

Mini Moto

2008-06-27T16:44:00.004Z

I was given a mini moto today!
I needs a good clean and a bit of work doing on it but it will make a good project and should be fun to piss about on this summer.

Important news about google!

2008-04-16T10:15:00.001Z

If you type 'Google', into 'Google', you can break the internet, so please, no one try it, even for a joke!

Land rover and hummer sex

2008-03-24T20:31:00.001Z

A land rover had sex with a hummer and created a mercedes.

Toilet shower

2008-03-18T15:31:00.001Z

For when you need to have a shower and use the toilet at the same time

Super killer monk

2008-03-05T16:14:00.002Z

Make up your own super hero fancy dress party.....

More Active!

2008-02-29T14:21:00.003Z

Well I have added all the latest videos I have online to here today, and I plan to use this site more, I have also deleted my mobile blog, and my mobile now posts to this site.

Don't Hang Up

2008-02-29T10:25:00.003Z

A short single camera film by RMN.

Starring:
Matthew Menhenick

Written by
Matthew Menhenick, Nathan Viney and Reuben Speight

Edited by
Reuben Speight

Wordplay: Window

2008-02-29T10:25:00.001Z

An experimental video for the word window.
I wasn't sure what to do so I looked up window in the dictionary and it means "wind eye"....

Video:
Stock footage and my eye.

Music: Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve

The Phone

2008-02-29T10:23:00.000Z

The Phone
[Description coming soon]

Eat It - Weird Al Yankovic [Unofficial Music Video]

2008-02-29T10:22:00.002Z

A unofficial music video for the song Eat It, by Weird Al Yankovic.

Made as part of a College project by Matthew Menhenick, Nathan Viney and Reuben Speight.

Pizza Time

2008-02-29T10:22:00.001Z

A stop motion object animation of a pizza making itself then being eaten by a Pudsey bear (I'm not sure I will ever properly get the tomato sauce off his nose).

Helmet Cam Test

2008-02-29T10:21:00.001Z

This is the first test I did using the helmet cam I made, I need to angle it up a bit more and sort out the exposure, but otherwise I think its pretty good.

This video is me riding my Specialized Hardrock Sport 2005 mountain bike down Bridgetown hill, Totnes.

Stickman to Scissors

2008-02-29T10:19:00.001Z

My first drawn animation, its of some scissors that morph into a stick man, and back again.

Clayman Test

2008-02-29T10:18:00.000Z

This is a short claymation test I made so I could get used to the controls in iStop Motion and waited for the other characters were built for another animation I was making with some friends.

It is built up of a load of random clips of a plasticine man doing various things.

Monkey on Mouse

2008-02-29T10:17:00.001Z

A short stop motion claymation animation of a monkey sitting on a mouse and moving around.

Donald Duck and the Evil Wheel

2008-02-29T08:56:00.000Z

The animation, Donald Duck in The Village Smithy mixed with A Knife in the Dark from The Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the Ring motion picture soundtrack and various sound effects.

This was made for a college project where we had to choose an old silent movie and create a sound design that made the film fit with a randomly chosen genre.

We chose Donald Duck - The Village Smithy and Epic/Fantasy.

I cut up and changed all the times for the Village Smithy, so that it fits with the music from The Lord of the Rings (which I did not edit) then Matt added sound effects.

JAR Biking Title Sequence

2008-02-29T08:55:00.001Z

This is the title sequence for a biking film I planned to make with some friends a few years ago, but it never really got made.
I decided to make the title sequence as part of a college project, but I couldn't get as many people to star in it as I had hoped due to people going to colleges far away and just being busy.

Starring:
Johannes Biesta
Reuben Speight
Owain Twist

Cameramen:
Reuben Speight
Johannes Biesta

Director and Editor:
Reuben Speight

Music:
In Your World by Muse

Donald Duck - The Village Smithy Vs The Lord of the Rings

2008-02-29T08:54:00.000Z

The animation, Donald Duck in The Village Smith...
(more)
Added: May 14, 2007
The animation, Donald Duck in The Village Smithy mixed with A Knife in the Dark from The Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the Ring motion picture soundtrack.

I cut up and changed all the times for the Village Smithy, so that it fits with the music from The Lord of the Rings (which I did not edit).

Hungry Rabbits

2008-02-29T08:53:00.002Z

Hungry Rabbits is a cut out, stop motion animation made using iStopMotion.
It is about two hungry rabbits that eat everything.

RES Studios Ident

2008-02-29T08:51:00.001Z

This is an ident sequence made to go at the beginning or end of all the films I make.

I got the ideas for this from the WKD drill advert, and the Pixar angle poise lamp ident sequence.

RES Studios MySpace

2007-08-03T18:49:00.001Z

Check out and maybe add the RES Studios MySpace page click here to view it.
My friend list is growing fast and I am also working on a new layout for it.

Trying to Keep College Freshmen's Minds Off Sex is Truly Impossible

2007-05-13T11:46:00.000Z

This video is so funny, thanks to Star for sending me the link to it :)

Mood: Bored
Listening to: The View - Same Jeans
Reading: Angels and Demons - Dan Brown
Watching: Scrubs 211
Playing: Halo Online
Eating: Coco Pops *sings coco pop jingle*
Drinking: Coffee

New Layout for the RES Studios MySpace Page, Version 2

2007-05-01T13:19:00.001Z

Here is a screen shot of the RES Studios MySpace page:

I have been meaning to make a page that actually looked good for ages, but I could never really be bothered because I spent so much time sorting out and creating pages for friends that I couldn't be bothered with my own, but I had to make one as part of a college project.

Most of my mates at college just changed the colours and stuff on their pages for the project, I might have gone a bit over the top...

Click here to view the RES Studios MySpace page.

Reuben Speight

Mood: Tired
Listening to: Radio 1 -BBC
Reading: Digital Fortress - Dan Brown
Watching: My Name is Earl Series 2
Playing: Halo Online
Eating: A cheese and onion sandwich
Drinking: Water

New Video Host

2007-02-16T12:25:00.000Z

Over the next few days if you try and play a video and it just says 'video unavailable' don't worry, it should be fixed soon, it is because I have moved all the videos to new pages, where they are a lot higher quality.

Mood: Happy
Listening to: Radio 1 - BBC
Reading: The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
Watching: The League Of Gentlemen Series 1
Playing: DRIV3R
Eating: Coco Pops
Drinking: Coffee

Copz

2007-02-16T12:20:00.001Z

This is a title sequence I had to make at college for a fictional film or TV program. Me and my friends decided to make one about a TV program called Copz, using a soundtrack which is a cross between the Eastenders and The Bill theme.

Directed by:
Reuben Speight
Matthew Menhenick
Nathan Viney

Soundtrack by:
Reuben Speight

Edited by:
Reuben Speight
Nathan Viney

Mood: Happy
Listening to: Radio 1 - BBC
Reading: The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
Watching: The League Of Gentlemen Series 1
Playing: DRIV3R
Eating: Coco Pops
Drinking: Coffee

Trees - Fatlab

2007-02-06T20:50:00.000Z

Fatlab playing Trees, live at The Melting Pot.

Fatlab's MySpace Page: http://www.myspace.com/fatlabtastic