text:
There's an undercurrent of keeping your Mac safe throughout this week's TidBITS issue. First, Adam passes on news of a critical vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat, along with suggestions on how to avoid being bitten by the current exploits. Jeff Carlson points out that a part of anyone's backup strategy should be keeping the power on, via a UPS. And Doug McLean shares details about the liquid submersion indicators now built into all iPods, iPhones, and MacBooks. But we're not going all paranoid on you - Adam also dives deep into iPhoto '09 and returns with news that Apple seems to be working on an iPhone application that tracks your location. Jeff also explains how you can get a free Mac.com account for use with iChat, since trial MobileMe accounts expire. And finally, Doug contributes a roundup of his favorite screensavers that go beyond bouncing a picture around your screen. We've also just published "Take Control of Running Windows on a Mac, Third Edition," and our Dutch and Japanese translations could use some more help. Notable software releases this week include ScreenFlow 1.5, MercuryMover 2.0.3, TextExpander 2.5.2, MacBook SMC Update 1.3, WireTap Studio 1.0.8, Things 1.0.4, and the ConceptDraw WebWave plug-in for ConceptDraw Pro.
(Published 8 years and 5 weeks ago)
Critical Vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat
Turn off JavaScript in Adobe Reader and Acrobat Professional - or use Apple's Preview - to mitigate a critical security vulnerability.Show full article
Adobe has issued a security advisory warning about a "critical vulnerability" in all fully patched versions of Adobe Reader 9 and earlier, and in Adobe Acrobat 9 and earlier. Although the security advisory makes no specific mention of the Mac, previous vulnerabilities have been cross-platform, so there's no reason to believe this one will be any different. Adobe expects to issue an update for the latest versions of Adobe Reader and Acrobat by 11-Mar-09.
Details of the vulnerability? A malicious PDF could cause the affected application to crash and could potentially allow an attacker to take control of the computer. I know that's what we always say, but in this case, there are reports of this vulnerability being exploited in the wild, at least in the Windows world.
Luckily, the security group Shadowserver has verified the exploit with Adobe Reader 8 and 9 on Windows. Their posting explains that the vulnerability relies in part on JavaScript, such that turning off JavaScript is an easy way to mitigate the problem. In their testing, a malicious PDF could still crash Adobe Reader if JavaScript was turned off, but it couldn't take over the machine.
Since Apple's Preview and most, if not all, other Mac OS X PDF readers cannot interpret JavaScript in a PDF, I suspect that they would be unaffected by a malicious PDF. To change the default so all PDFs open with Preview, choose File > Get Info (Command-I) for any PDF, choose Preview from the Open With pop-up menu, and click the Change All button.
It's distressing that Adobe's security advisory provides no practical information that would help users protect themselves until an update appears. Aside from the lack of platform-specific detail, would it have killed Adobe to suggest that users turn off JavaScript and avoid PDF files from dodgy sites?
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iPhone to Add Location Logging?
Some sleuthing within iPhoto '09 reveals that Apple was at least thinking about adding a location logging app to the iPhone and iPod touch, possibly for providing geotags to imported photos or improving maps. Could the feature point toward a more capable iPhone or iPod touch? And what about the privacy issues?Show full article
Could the iPhone soon be able to track your location in the background as you walk around? A hint that such a capability is in the works at Apple comes from a programmer friend who spent some time spelunking around inside iPhoto '09, which shows traces of being able to associate such GPS log data with photos.
That could provide geotagging information for photos taken with another camera, or it might let you view a map of your travels, with pins dropped where you'd taken photos with the iPhone.
My source points to an unused nib file within iPhoto as evidence of this feature. As you can see from the screenshot and the text below, it's assuming that there's a Location app on the iPhone, and that app must be running to transfer location data to iPhoto.
Activate the location application on your iPhone or iPod Touch. Once selected, any available location information will be transferred to your iPhoto library and associated with the photos in the selected event(s).
Elsewhere, in the iPhoto binary, there's also this string, which appears to provide the iPhoto side of the directions:
Select an iPhone or iPod Touch from your list of named devices. Once selected, the appropriate information will be transferred to your iPhoto library and associated with the photos in the selected event(s).
The user experience seems rather convoluted, since the implication from these strings is that you would have to select one or more events in iPhoto, then launch the app on the iPhone to transfer location information via Wi-Fi. Quibbling with the interface is pointless, though, given that this feature is non-functional in iPhoto '09, and there's no known Location app in the iPhone with which to connect.
Setting the speculation phasers on stun, therefore, ponder the following:
- One of the issues with the iPhone is that independent apps can't stay active in the background, so GPS-based apps must be onscreen at all times to capture location data. Apple isn't subject to that limitation, so a Location app from Apple could track location no matter what you're doing. Apple should open that capability up to developers as well.
- The text mentions the iPod touch, which is a bit odd. Although the iPod touch can figure out its location from nearby Wi-Fi networks, the feature is worthless if you're anywhere but a heavily built-up urban area. And of course, the iPod touch currently has no GPS or camera. Could that be changing in a future model?
- One problem with using the iPhone's GPS constantly is that it drains the battery in just a couple of hours. I can't really see this feature being useful unless the iPhone were to get better battery life while using GPS. Or, I suppose, the Location app could rely largely on cell phone tower triangulation (which I suspect works better inside buildings anyway), using GPS occasionally to improve accuracy when available.
- The text talks about the location data being associated with "the photos in the selected event(s)." That could be interpreted to mean that the Location app's data could be used to geotag photos from non-GPS-capable cameras, much as you can do now with a GPS data logger device and a program like HoudahGeo or Ovolab's Geophoto. Since so few cameras offer GPS support right now, those programs remain extremely useful for automatic addition of location information.
- iPhoto '09 can already show you a map containing your geotagged photos from the iPhone, and it can show a path between photos within a map in a book, but it's just drawing lines between photo locations - it doesn't actually know the path you took between the points where you took the photos. This feature could enhance such maps with your actual path.
In the end, there's no guarantee that Apple has done more than toyed with the idea of garnering additional location-based data for iPhoto's geotagging feature. Such a feature would need to be designed and introduced extremely carefully, to ensure that users had sufficient control over it to avoid privacy concerns, and to ensure that the messaging around the app didn't give the wrong impression. Given that many of the marketing blurbs for the GPS data logging devices gleefully suggest privacy-infringing uses like spying on a teenager, spouse, or employee, caution on Apple's part seems entirely warranted.
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Get a Free, Non-Expiring Mac.com Address for iChat
by Jeff Carlson
You don't need to sign up for a MobileMe account to use iChat. Although not obvious, you can create a free, non-expiring mac.com address to use iChat.Show full article
A TidBITS reader writes:
It seems that as part of the conversion from .Mac to MobileMe, Apple no longer allows expired MobileMe accounts to be used for iChat. My mother-in-law got a 60-day free MobileMe account solely for iChat purposes. As soon as she cancelled it (shortly before the free 60 days expired), she was no longer able to use iChat.
It's true that a me.com address expires if you don't subscribe to MobileMe within the free period. Apple is doing all it can to encourage people to use the paid service. If you were a subscriber to .Mac, the precursor to MobileMe, then you already have a mac.com address that will work in the future, even if you opted to not renew your .Mac/MobileMe account.
However, you can also create a free mac.com address for use with iChat that won't expire. It can be used only for iChat, and doesn't include email or any of the other MobileMe features, including encrypted iChat messaging.
Here's how:
- In iChat, choose Preferences from the iChat menu.
- Click the Accounts icon at the top of the window.
- Click the + (plus) button in the lower-left corner to create a new account.
- Click the Get an iChat Account button, which takes you to Apple's site in your Web browser.
- Fill out the fields in the Create Your iChat ID form and click Continue. If your chosen screen name is already taken, you'll need to come up with a new one.
- Go back to iChat's preferences and choose Mac.com Account from the Account Type pop-up menu.
- Enter your just-created user name and password in the fields provided, then click Done.
This technique is also helpful for creating extra iChat addresses; for example, it can be handy for people who want to separate work and personal chats. When the account is enabled, you'll see two AIM Buddy Lists, which you can populate separately and run simultaneously.
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The Latest Details about Running Windows on a Mac
Looking for information about the best software to use for running Windows on a Mac, or how to run Windows most effectively? Joe Kissell's "Take Control of Running Windows on a Mac, Third Edition" has all the answers for all the latest virtualization software.Show full article
Now that running Windows on a Mac has become commonplace, you might think that it's also become easy. Alas, the gods of technology have yet to make it so, and making Windows run smoothly can still make you want to rip your hair out. Of course, this fact also keeps Mac writers like Joe Kissell busy, and, taking advantage of Joe's unstoppable curiosity, we've just released his latest ebook, "Take Control of Running Windows on a Mac, Third Edition," with coverage of the latest versions of VMware Fusion, Parallels Desktop, VirtualBox, and Boot Camp.
The 167-page ebook helps you figure out which virtualization software makes sense for you, round up the necessary hardware and software, make any obligatory preparations (like partitioning with the right format - FAT32, anybody?), and get it all working right with hardware drivers installed, printers printing, anti-virus software patrolling the perimeter, and so forth. Joe also gets into the details of sharing files between Mac and Windows installations, making the most of the snazzy new features in the latest versions of Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion, creating functional backups of your Windows installation, and generally getting on with your life while using Windows. To make the $10 ebook even more valuable, it comes with coupons for $8 off VMware Fusion and $5 off Parallels Desktop.
Since this book covers all the options for running Windows on a Mac, those of you who are using or plan to use VMware Fusion will probably be happier with Joe's "Take Control of VMware Fusion 2," which is also available for $10 and which also comes with a coupon worth $8 off the purchase price of Fusion.
If you already own a previous edition of "Take Control of Running Windows on a Mac," be sure to check your email for a discount update offer, or find the update offer by opening the ebook and clicking the Check for Updates button on the first page.
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More Dutch and Japanese Translators Wanted!
If you can read English and write in either Dutch or Japanese, we need your help in translating TidBITS!Show full article
We're hard at work on bringing translations into our homegrown TidBITS Publishing System as a way of making TidBITS even more accessible to people who prefer to read in languages other than English. But while we're enhancing our content management system, our volunteer translators continue to put out issues of TidBITS each week in other languages.
So, if you're bilingual in English and either Dutch or Japanese (all three is not required!), we can use your help. Both our Dutch and Japanese translation teams are running slightly short-handed and could use a few more volunteers to spread out the effort. In essence, you'd work with the other members of the teams to help translate TidBITS from English into either Dutch or Japanese for the thousands of people who read TidBITS in those languages.
You can read more about what's involved with both the Dutch translation and the Japanese translation at their respective pages. Thanks for any help you can provide, and do note that as a small token of our appreciation, translators receive all Take Control ebooks for free.
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Backups Need Power, Too
by Jeff Carlson
When you're thinking about safeguarding your data, don't forget to protect the equipment on which it's stored from electrical surges. Jeff Carlson updates the UPSes in his office.Show full article
After learning our lessons the hard way, we at TidBITS are adamant about backing up our data and evangelizing the importance of having good backups. (For examples, see Adam's article "International Verify Your Backups Day," 2009-02-13, Joe's ebooks "Take Control of Mac OS X Backups" and "Take Control of Easy Backups in Leopard," and my own travails and successes recovering the contents of a failed hard disk, "DriveSavers to the Rescue," 1999-08-30.)
But making copies of bits isn't the only consideration for keeping your data intact. You need electricity to feed your computer and hard drives - and that electricity needs to keep running, especially in the event that the power goes out unexpectedly. An abrupt shutdown can cause disk directory corruption, and power surges risk overloading and damaging power supplies.
I was reminded of these facts recently when I was interrupted by a shrill and sudden beeping from beneath my desk. A dreaded red light appeared on the UPS (uninterruptible power supply) into which my computer and accessories are plugged, indicating that its battery was dead.
If you're not familiar with the device, a UPS is essentially a multi-plug power strip with a built in battery that can keep electricity flowing for several minutes in the event of a power outage. It also provides protection from power surges and filters the incoming power to reduce fluctuations. In my case, I was using an old APC Smart-UPS 1000 I inherited from Glenn Fleishman when he stopped running Web servers out of our shared office.
The good thing about a UPS is that you can replace the battery without replacing the whole unit. So I went to APC's Web site and discovered that it would cost about $150 for a new battery.
While browsing APC's other offerings I came across the company's Trade-UPS program. APC will give you credit toward buying a new UPS, and also recycle your old one and pay for the shipping. The last item is significant, since UPSes are quite heavy (the Smart-UPS 1000 weighs 46 pounds).
I entered my UPS and its serial number in the Trade-UPS page, which gave me a point value of 1000; I would need to match that number in new products to qualify for the discount and free return. The Smart-UPS 1000 was built for a rougher load than what I was using it for, so I figured I could get by with a UPS that didn't offer as much capacity. But how to tell just how much I needed?
Once again, TidBITS search to the rescue! Adam wrote about buying a UPS in 1999 (see "Don't Interrupt! A UPS Saves the Day, 1999-09-20), in which he explained how to calculate the electrical load your computer system will place on the UPS when the power fails:
[L]ook on the back or bottom of each of your devices for power draw ratings in either amps or watts. If power draw is listed in amps, multiply it by your line voltage (120 volts for North America, 230 volts for Europe, etc.) to find the volt-amp (VA) load. If the power draw is instead listed in watts, multiply by 1.4 to find volt-amps. The problem with this manual calculation is that manufacturers tend to be conservative and publish the maximum power draw possible, which would in turn cause you to buy a larger UPS than necessary.
Adding up the devices in my home office, I came up with a total of 1102 volt-amps. Not all of those were plugged into the Smart-UPS 1000 (which has a VA rating of 1000), but the number gave me a reference for what to look for.
Going back to the list of recommended new products, I decided to buy two smaller-capacity UPSes. I chose the Back-UPS LS, which has a model that is rated between 500-700 VA. With the trade-in discount, I was able to buy each for $128 (instead of the $140 list price).
Although I ended up paying almost $300 (with tax and shipping), instead of $150 to replace a battery, I now have two UPSes that allow me to plug in equipment that previously was just in a power strip and add more components if needed. And the Smart-UPS 1000 (along with an older, smaller UPS I retired ages ago) will soon be headed back for responsible recycling, without my having to pay shipping.
So when you're evaluating your backup system, don't forget to take power into consideration. A backup hard disk can't help you if it gets zapped by a blown circuit breaker or a lightning storm.
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Liquid Submersion Indicators Reveal Accidental Dips
by Doug McLean
Drop your iPod in the bathtub or spill coffee on your MacBook? Hoping to convince Apple otherwise and cash in on your warranty? Think again - Apple's liquid submersion indicators are stool pigeons for the 21st century!Show full article
While it's no news that water and electronic devices don't mix, Apple has of late rolled out an interesting and little-known design feature: the liquid submersion indicator (LSI). Now integrated into the design of all Apple laptops, iPods, and iPhones, the LSI reveals whether or not its host device has been subjected to liquid damage.
As Apple clearly states on its support pages, "Liquid damage repair is not covered by the Apple one year limited warranty or the AppleCare Protection Plan." Thus, if your MacBook Air or iPhone receives an accidental dunking, you're not going to be able to convince Apple to repair it for free. Not as long as you have an iPhone or an iPod manufactured after 2006, or any laptop produced since 2008 - all these models include an LSI.
For the iPod and iPhone, the liquid submersion indicator is usually found in the headphone jack. Examining the inside of the jack with a magnifying glass reveals a white dot at the end of the passage. This dot turns half red or pink if the device has been submerged in liquid. For the iPhone 3G the indicator is located on the bottom of the connector housing, right under the 30-pin dock connector.
While iPod and iPhone owners can view the LSI without disassembly, the same is not true for the MacBook line. Apple doesn't say where the LSIs in the laptops are exactly, but AppleInsider published a diagram claiming to show their locations. The four LSIs in the MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air are spread out in various points below the keyboard where they'd work well for detecting spilled liquid. Again, normally white, the indicators turn red when exposed to moisture, but even getting to them to determine if there was liquid damage can reportedly take a technician up to 2 hours.
We can only assume that Apple's repair technicians had sufficient evidence of people returning liquid-damaged devices under phony pretenses to warrant the creation and implementation of these indicators. It's also likely that the cost to incorporate the LSIs in the new laptop models was small enough to make it worthwhile for cutting down on repair fraud.
On the user end, the most obvious concern is that these LSIs will somehow indicate liquid damage when the device hasn't been dunked. In particular, people living in extremely humid climates have voiced concern that the indicators could misinterpret environmental conditions and prevent them from receiving deserved support. How much of a concern this should be is hard to say, given that the information available on the nature or composition of these indicators is slim. We did find a note from an Apple repair technician passing on the claim from Apple that the indicators are "very accurate" and "will not be affected by humidity or environmental factors."
More troublesome might be actual exposure to liquid that activates the LSI but does not, at that point in time, cause the device to fail. Should the device need repair in the future for a seemingly unrelated reason, that repair may be denied because of the LSI. Water, for instance, doesn't itself necessarily damage electronics, but can cause electrical short circuits that will. So if power is removed instantly, and the device is allowed to dry, it may be fine. Unfortunately, other liquids like coffee and soda may contain corrosive substances or leave behind conductive residues even after the liquid has evaporated. In such cases, the device may seem to work properly for some time after the spill, but gradually become flakier.
The moral of the story? You already know to try to keep liquids away from your devices, but if the worst does come to pass, you'll just have to own up to the mistake and pay for repair or replacement unless you have computer insurance coverage from a company like Safeware.
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Top 10 Screensavers for the 21st Century
by Doug McLean
Want something to enliven your Mac's screen when you're away from the mouse for 15 or 20 minutes? Doug McLean went hunting for the most interesting screensavers he could find. Here are his top 10.Show full article
Now that screen burn is pretty much a thing of the past, we don't really need screensavers anymore. And many people - quite reasonably - prefer to have their computers go into energy-saver mode when they're away for any significant amount of time. After all, what's the point of displaying power-wasting patterns when you aren't around to enjoy them? Fair enough, but there is still something to be said for enjoying some interesting displays during those times when you've just stepped back from the Mac for a short while. Today, screensavers can do more than just display repetitive animations (remember Flying Toasters from the After Dark screensaver?) and it's worth investigating what's out there.
When I went in search of new and interesting screensavers, I was looking for three things: screensavers that could change and develop over time, screensavers that made use of input devices or updating information, and screensavers that put a fun twist on age-old tricks like clocks or photo slideshows. Here's a look at ten of the most interesting and enjoyable screensavers I found kicking around the Web. Unless otherwise noted, all these screensavers are free.
1) Electric Sheep
Often cited as one of the best screensavers available, Electric Sheep is both visually stunning and conceptually engaging. Named in homage to the science fiction author Philip K. Dick's short story, "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" this open-source screensaver connects 60,000 sleeping computers to generate morphing abstract animations. The process is mediated by a genetic algorithm - the animations (or "sheep") with high user ratings go on to reproduce with other popular sheep and produce offspring with shared characteristics. Unpopular sheep eventually die off and enter an archive. Users can also edit and upload their own sheep into the gene pool. The end result is a spectacular collaboration and competition between human design and computer algorithms. Scott Draves, creator of the software, discusses Electric Sheep in an online video (at 2:40 in). From a user perspective - and it's not often my art degree proves useful in writing technical articles - this screensaver really has the most impressive visual abstractions of any I've seen. But what really makes it stand out is the user's ability to collect new animations, and to affect the production of future ones through voting (via the Up and Down arrow keys). The endless number of new and different visualizations provides a major reason to keep turning it on.
2) Surveillance Saver
For the security guard in each of us, Surveillance Saver pulls live feeds from over 1,000 different surveillance cameras all over the world. The screensaver shows live images of city streets, parking lots, Internet cafes, university libraries, highways, and more - from all over the planet. Each live feed remains on your screen for 2 minutes before changing to a new one - unfortunately at this time there's no option to adjust cycle times. My favorite detail of this screensaver is the information bar located at the bottom of each feed informing you of the feed's location, local time, and geographical coordinates. Despite the camera's typically mundane shots, the prospect of viewing an unfiltered slice of life from places like the Czech Republic or Iceland is enticing. The current alpha version is a little buggy at times - sometimes I would see only a black screen, or the live feed would freeze up into a still image. But this is a screensaver with enormous potential - and hopefully it will continue to develop in future versions with the addition of some controls. Nonetheless the current version is still worth checking out; it will certainly satisfy your inner spy. Though it's worth asking: What do I do if I actually witness a crime?
3) BreveCreatures
BreveCreatures is a screensaver that simulates the evolution of virtual creatures. Beginning with randomly generated block-creatures, the screensaver uses a genetic algorithm to help the organisms develop locomotive capabilities. Each creature is plopped down in a simulated 3D world and has a set amount of time to move as far as possible from the start point - denoted by a yellow star. Some creatures never budge an inch, and others speedily scramble off - it's fun to watch one plop down and wonder, based on its shape and parts, whether it will have any success. The screensaver progresses through successive generations, each generation utilizing the qualities of the most successful creatures from the previous group. The result is a slow evolution towards mobility. Because the process can take hours or even days for significant developments to occur, each time BreveCreatures is activated it picks up where it left off. This is all surprisingly enthralling to watch. I found myself unable to turn it off - saying, "just one more" - wanting to see if the new creature would be the new record setter. It was also amazing to leave the room for an hour and come back to see the progress that had been made. An interesting addition for future versions of this program would be a video highlight gallery that details the game-changing creatures that significantly pushed forward the evolution of your system.
4) Chemical Burn
Chemical Burn is a screensaver that displays a transportation network simulation. Packets of data are randomly generated with an assigned destination (or node); these packets then attempt to find the fastest way to get to their node. Frequently used routes become faster; in turn, becoming even more popular and also more visible. You can also select to have nodes collapse at random, and be sent "Packets of Death," which destroy the receiving node and the transportation routes connected to it. However, the destruction of nodes and routes results in newly formed ones, continuing the system's process. Another option is the capability to determine the initial number of nodes (more nodes result in a more complex, but slower, system), as well as traffic and distance weighting options. While the animation is rather simplistic - you could be watching an old Atari game - it's fascinating and relaxing to watch. Just imagine the possibilities if this were redesigned with high-end 3D graphics.
5) Soundstream
Soundstream is a screensaver that responds to sound input, whether it be ambient room noise, your voice, or your iTunes music. Flurry-like particles move about the darkened screen, shifting in color as they go. Any sounds registered by your microphone cause the particles to expand in size and brightness as they move. The degree to which the particles enlarge, brighten, or shift in color is related to the volume of the input. You can control the number of particles, whether they exist in 2D or 3D space, and the sensitivity of the sound responsiveness. If you like Apple's built-in Flurry screensaver, you'll love Soundstream. After the initial fun of yelling at my computer to watch the particles explode, I discovered the subtler pleasure of seeing the sounds of my house visualized onscreen.
6) iSight ScreenSavers
The iSight Screensavers collection ($4.99 shareware) is a group of six screensavers that utilize input from your iSight camera, or any other QuickTime-compatible camera, to morph through various effects (not unlike the effects within iChat or Photo Booth). The six effects include Fluid, Particles, Champagne, Fire, Water, and Flipping Grid. I found the most impressive of these to be Fluid and Water - though it's worth trying all of them out. Like Soundstream, the iSight Screensavers are cool because they constantly respond to the real time input rather than merely drawing from a finite set of options.
7) TimeLapse Screensaver
TimeLapse is my favorite input-based screensaver. Like the iSight Screensavers, it requires either an iSight camera or another QuickTime-compatible camera. Once launched, TimeLapse begins taking photos at designated intervals. Slowly, with the addition of each new photo, it builds a time lapse animation. The screensaver shows the animation in a loop, each time adding the recently acquired photo or photos onto the end. Capture intervals, storage limits, and playback speed are all adjustable. It's wonderful to see yourself and your space captured in a time-lapse animation - and should you leave your computer for a while, it's a fun way to catch up on what happened while you were gone.
8) Harry Potter Photo Show
Many people enjoy using Apple's photo screensaver as a way to shuffle through their digital photo collections. The Harry Potter Photo Show screensaver offers a fun twist on that basic concept. When launched, Harry wanders around a Hogwarts library casting your photos as spells with his wand (above you can see Harry casting the TidBITS masthead). The photos hang in the air flittering and flickering as you would expect a good spell would do. You can adjust the music, lighting quality, source folder, and how the sparks that shoot out of Harry's wand act when casting. Despite the mediocre animation - Harry looks a bit like a claymation Muppet and moves around woodenly - it's surprisingly enjoyable to see him zap your pictures with his wand.
9) Pong Saver
If you often find yourself yearning for the video game aesthetics of yore, you might enjoy this simple but amusing adaptation of a clock screensaver. In Pong Saver, the score between the two sides reflects the time in either a 24 hour or 12 hour notation. A hint for you gamblers out there: Don't place any bets on the hour hand side - it almost always loses to the minute hand side.
10) LotsaEscher
Many people are familiar with the mind-bending illustrations of M.C. Escher. The LotsaEscher screensaver takes a dizzying journey into the heart of Escher's 1956 lithograph "Print Gallery." The screensaver is based on the work of Hendrik Lenstra and Bart de Smit, who, through an analysis of the mathematical structure of the image, were able to uncover the mystery of the blurry white hole in the center of the drawing, and were able to create a Droste image - an image that contains itself in miniature. The screensaver zooms infinitely into various versions of picture - you can select which one in the Options panel. It's a vertigo-inducing way to spend some time.
11) Flurry Spoof
There's no point in downloading this gag screensaver, which is an advertisement for the German jobsintown.de employment service; just watch the preview on the site. It's a great spoof of Apple's popular Flurry screensaver.
More Screensavers -- As you might imagine this list only begins to scratch the surface of the screensaver universe. If you're looking for more, I recommend checking out Pure Mac Screensavers and XScreenSaver as good starting points. Pure Mac Screensavers has a wide variety of interesting programs - some of which made this list. It's easy to navigate and many of the screensavers on the site are worth trying out. There's also MacScreensavers, though this site seems oriented toward promotional and pop-culture screensavers, most of which are unimpressive examples of
the screensaver genre.
XScreenSaver was the standard screensaver collection on most Linux and Unix machines running the X11 Window System. The first version was released in 1992, and was ported to Mac OS X in 2006. Here you'll find a wide array of older screensavers with some old school graphics and some endearingly simple premises. (Thanks to reader Dan O'Donnell for the tip on XScreenSaver.)
Oh, and if in your explorations you come across any screensavers that seem interesting and weren't touched on here, I'd love to hear about them. Happy screensaver searching! Enjoy!
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TidBITS Watchlist: Notable Software Updates for 23-Feb-09
by Doug McLean
Notable software releases this week include ScreenFlow 1.5, MercuryMover 2.0.3, TextExpander 2.5.2, MacBook SMC Update 1.3, WireTap Studio 1.0.8, Things 1.0.4, and the ConceptDraw WebWave plug-in for ConceptDraw Pro.Show full article
ScreenFlow 1.5 from Telestream is the latest version of the highly regarded screencasting software for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. Changes include titling and text support that enables users to add text objects directly to the timeline, customizable mouse pointers, ten new audio effects, the capability to mix mono microphones to stereo, and integration with Telestream's Flip4Mac WMV which lends Windows Media support. The update also addresses two critical bugs that cause crashes after upgrading to Quicktime 7.6 - one when importing QuickTime content, and one when exporting to your Apple TV, iPod, or iPhone. The full list of bug fixes is available (as a PDF document) from Telestream's Web site. ($99 new, free update, 6.2 MB)
MercuryMover 2.0.3 from Helium Foot Software is a minor maintenance update to the keyboard shortcut utility for moving and resizing windows. Issues that have been resolved include incompatibility with Nvidia video cards, poor interface layout on smaller displays, windows incorrectly centering when display sizes change, and the frontmost application not being properly restored when dismissing MercuryMover with its hot key. ($20, free update, 867 KB)
TextExpander 2.5.2 from SmileOnMyMac updates the typing shortcut utility with several new features and some minor bug fixes. The latest version enables users to create snippets from shell scripts, assign those snippets abbreviations, and then trigger the shell scripts with those abbreviations. Also new is improved format handling when creating snippets from the clipboard, and a fix for a bug that causes problems with updating URL-based snippet groups. ($29.95 new, free update, 3.6 MB)
MacBook SMC Update 1.3 from Apple is a specific firmware update for the 2009 white polycarbonate MacBook. SMC stands for System Management Controller, a micro controller located on the logic board that is responsible for the computer's power functions. As such, the update addresses issues causing slow startup times when starting up from battery power only. (Free update, 4.3 MB).
WireTap Studio 1.0.8 from Ambrosia Software is a minor update to the tool for recording and editing audio on your Mac. The update brings enhanced editor capabilities, improved handling of large files, a fix for an issue that prevents new recordings from appearing after creating or updating a library, a fix for a bug that causes problems in LivePreview when opening particular file formats, and improved support for iPhone exports. ($69 new, free update, 30.8 MB)
Things 1.0.4 from Cultured Code is a maintenance update to the Getting Things Done-inspired task manager. In the latest version, adding a new task to a completed project now marks the project as incomplete, adding a new task to a logged project now marks the task as logged, and marking a task as uncompleted in a completed project now marks the project as uncompleted. Additionally, dragging items from the Trash to another area now marks those items as active. The update also improves reliability and support for iPhone sync. ($49.95 new, free update, 4.3 MB).
The ConceptDraw WebWave plug-in from CS Odessa is a new plug-in for ConceptDraw Pro 8. ConceptDraw WebWave enables users to plan and design Web sites quickly through Web site prototyping, page mock-up creation, and site-mapping. The plug-in offers Web site content and documentation functionality, site structure planning capabilities, a Color Generator that enables users to design color schemes, and access to additional Web-specific objects and template libraries. ConceptDraw WebWave is also capable of managing project resources with its capability to assign resources and generate to-do lists. ($99 when purchased with the $249 ConceptDraw Pro 8, not available for separate purchase)
Check out the perks at <http://tidbits.com/member_benefits.html>
Special thanks to Charles Crawford, James Tetz, Richard Dechance, and
Michael Simon for their generous support!
ExtraBITS for 23-Feb-09
Read on for a collection of links to the most interesting articles and resources that the TidBITS staff discovered or wrote elsewhere on the Web this week.Show full article
XRoad's Map Apps Boast Turn-by-Turn GPS Directions -- Despite the belief that Apple wouldn't allow turn-by-turn directions in an iPhone app, the recently released version 1.2 of XRoad's G-Map U.S. West and G-Map U.S. East adds that feature. Unfortunately, still absent are voice prompts, which XRoad attributes to Apple's prohibitive policies. The two apps, covering the eastern and western halves of the United States, are $19.99 each. (Posted 2009-02-19)
Search the Web without a Browser -- Still launching a Web browser every time you need to do a quick Web search? There may be other, quicker ways to get the information you need, as Joe Kissell explains in this Macworld article. (Posted 2009-02-18)
Improve Your Google Searches -- If you're using Google to search the Web and not finding the results you're looking for, you may just need to refine your searches a bit. In this Macworld article, Joe Kissell provides some Google search tips. (Posted 2009-02-18)
Go Beyond Google Searches -- Believe it or not, there are other (and sometimes more effective) ways to find information on the Web than using the Google search box built into your browser. Joe Kissell explores some of the interesting alternatives in this Macworld article. (Posted 2009-02-17)
Mobile Web Usability Stinks -- Let's be real. Browsing the Web on a mobile phone, even an iPhone, is a lousy experience in comparison with using a full-fledged browser on a Mac. Jakob Nielsen explains the problems and offers suggestions on how to improve mobile Web usability in his Alertbox column. (Posted 2009-02-17)
The Tao of Backup -- The software this 12-year-old site was developed to promote may be long gone, but its lessons about backup are timeless. "Remember, Grasshopper, to believe in one's backups is one thing. To have to use them is another." (Posted 2009-02-17)
for reviewing, editing, signing, redacting, and exporting to Word.
With v.8 use digital signatures, and view file & audio attachments.
Solve your PDF dilemmas, try PDFpen. <http://smle.us/pdfpen8-tb>
Hot Topics in TidBITS Talk for 23-Feb-09
by Jeff Carlson
This week's discussions concern the ever-popular look at what email program to replace Eudora, Microsoft's new retail stores, Apple's way of determining whether your device has taken a dip, the Unix underpinnings of Mac OS X, how to deal with stolen laptops, backing up a Mac to a portable hard drive, and more.Show full article
Microsoft Store -- Readers envision what Microsoft's newly announced retail stores will be like. (3 messages)
Time to kiss Eudora goodbye? Now what? As Eudora continues to age, are Mail and Entourage the only viable replacements? What about Gmail? (72 messages)
Liquid Submersion Indicators Reveal Accidental Dips -- Apple can tell if your iPod, iPhone, or laptop has been exposed to liquid. (3 messages)
Western Digital Passport Studio for G4 laptop? A reader is looking for portable storage to accompany his PowerBook or iBook, and hoping for suggestions. (8 messages)
BSD UNIX - Basis for OS X? If you want to poke around under the hood of Mac OS X, be prepared to learn a host of different Unix flavors. (15 messages)
Stolen Laptops Redux -- After having two laptops stolen from a hotel room in London, a reader wants to know what can be done to restore his data and prevent future thefts. See what others do to protect their precious electronics. (9 messages)
Get a Free, Non-Expiring .Mac Address for iChat -- With other types of addresses compatible with iChat (such as AIM, Jabber, and Google Talk), what's the benefit of getting a free .Mac address? (3 messages)
Free Hotmail POP3 Access Now Available in U.S. Too -- Hotmail's POP access does not appear to be active for all users, which could be why a reader can't get it to work. (2 messages)
Check out the perks at <http://tidbits.com/member_benefits.html>
Special thanks to Matt Perl, H J Heesakkers, Jerome King, and Mike for
their generous support!


text:
justice Reports Unnecessary Austerity, Unnecessary Shutdown April 7, 2011 Reversing tax giveaways to the super-rich and the nation's largest corporations could raise $4 trillion within a decade and avert possible government closures.
justice Reports Shifting Responsibility April 7, 2010 IPS scholars track how 50 years of tax breaks benefited the wealthiest Americans.
justice Reports Reversing the Great Tax Shift: Seven Steps to Finance Our Economic Recovery Fairly April 7, 2009 Tax Day 2009 will come upon a time of financial crisis and extreme economic inequality. The Institute for Policy Studies proposes a series of measures to alleviate both problems.
justice Reports Paying for a Strong Economy February 25, 2009 IPS scholars find that taxes on the wealthy don't hurt consumption, and discourage the type of speculation that fueled the high-tech and housing bubbles.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
An easy, customer/user friendly way to upload images and attach them to your content. Optionally sets the featured image. Sometimes you just want to u
A metabox is added to the top right hand corner of the edit page interface with a simple file selector with browse button. When the user hits Publish/Save the file is uploaded and the URL put into an object custom field named per the settings page included with the plugin.
A lot of themes will make use of the Featured Image and as such this plugin can easily set this with no theme modification necessary. Alternatively if you wish to use them more fully within your theme you can use one of the following pieces of code. Note that these are the function declarations themselves. The usage instructions are below them:
function sbu_get_the_image($custom_field, $post_id=false, $url_only=false, $width=false, $height=false, $quality=100) {
global $sbu;
return $sbu->get_the_post_image($custom_field, $post_id, $url_only, $width, $height, $quality);
function sbu_the_image($custom_field, $post_id=false, $url_only=false, $width=false, $height=false, $quality=100) {
echo sbu_get_the_image($custom_field, $post_id, $url_only, $width, $height, $quality);
function sbu_get_the_image_resized($custom_field, $width=false, $height=false, $quality=100, $post_id=false) {
return sbu_get_the_image($custom_field, $post_id, false, $width, $height, $quality);
function sbu_the_image_resized($custom_field, $width=false, $height=false, $quality=100, $post_id=false) {
echo sbu_get_the_image_resized($custom_field, $width, $height, $quality, $post_id);
function sbu_get_the_category_image($custom_field, $post_id=false) {
global $sbu;
return $sbu->get_taxonomy_image($custom_field, $post_id);
The following code to grab images from the core uploader for the Featured Image functionality. This method resizes and saves multiple versions within the system as you would expect from the normal WP uploader but with a simpler, more customer friendly, interface.
function sbu_the_wp_image($image_size_name='full', $post_id=false) {
global $sbu;
return $sbu->get_image($image_size_name, $post_id);
If the above doesn't make sense then, in basic terms, you just need to put something like this in your theme:
<?php sbu_the_image('post_image'); ?>
or if you wish to resize an image to fit a slot use this:
<?php sbu_the_image_resized('post_image', 700, 200); ?>
This would output the image as 700x200. Both parameters are optional so if you wanted a proportional resize based on 700 pixels in width then use this:
<?php sbu_the_image_resized('post_image', 700); ?>
Or the old fashioned direct method of retrieving the image.
if ($image = get_post_meta(get_the_ID(), 'post_image', true)) {
$image = '<img src="' . $image . '" alt="Image" />';
echo $image;
As above but the file upload boxes are added to the taxonomy edit pages instead. Just click browse, choose an image and save the taxonomy/tag/category and you're done.
I would normally wrap the image variable in a div tag with a class or give the image itself a class so that I can restrict the size or float the image (or both?) using the stylesheet. It simply means that you can include that image inside a template if it exists. Of course you could use the resize function I have provided above to get that perfect sized image on your site.
I would like to add that there are coffee/donation adverts in this plugin. I personally hate it when, on adding a new plugin, dashboard widgets, donate buttons and begging messages appear. This plugin is clutter free and support is always available via my site (best responses here) and the WP forums (slower responses but I will get back to you). Have fun!
More info at http://www.sean-barton.co.uk/sb-uploader/
Requires: 3.0 or higher
Compatible up to: 3.6.1
Last Updated: 4 years ago
Active Installs:
Got something to say? Need help?


text:
[ 199 comments ] ( 37515 views )
The Make Lab has been travelling to branches around town this month for imaging programs using our digital drawing pens. Teens can draw or paint on the computer using a variety of brushes that imitate actual paint brushes, pens, pencils, or dry media (like charcoal). The program we use also has a photo painting feature that allows you to create digital drawings and paintings from regular pictures.
Here are some examples of Photo Painting (click each for full size):
The original image is on the left. The image on the right was created using the charcoal brush tool.
The original image is on the left. The image on the right was created using the watercolor brush tool.
The original image is on the left. The image on the right was creating using the pencil tool.
Look for Make Lab programs and other teen programs here . If you have any questions about the Make Lab, call 574-1638 or email email@example.com.
Recommended books for getting started with digital art:
[ 184 comments ] ( 5339 views )
This time of year, we celebrate Halloween and Day of the Dead! The Main Library has put together some fun skull crafts and activities. Stop by any time this week to participate!
[ 180 comments ] ( 3188 views )
On Wednesday, October 12, the Main Library hosted a workshop taught by professional photographer Lisa Huber. Teen participants took over 400 photographs which are now on display at the Main Library in the Underground Gallery. Stop by and check out this awesome exhibit!
[ 183 comments ] ( 3631 views )
Join us for Teen Laptop Lounge:
Shawnee Branch, Mondays from 3:00 PM 5:00 PM
Okolona Branch, Wednesdays from 3:00 PM 5:00 PM
The image above was created using Comic Life Software . Email firstname.lastname@example.com if you would like more information on Comic Life or join us in November for our Make Images programs.
Bon Air Branch
November 1 & 3, 3:00 PM 5:00 PM
Teen Outpost Highland/Shelby Park Branch
November 8 & 10, 3:00 PM 5:00 PM
Southwest Branch
November 15 & 17, 3:00 PM 5:00 PM
Westport Branch
November 22, 3:00 PM 5:00 PM
[ 205 comments ] ( 6102 views )


text:
3D Crystal Puzzle - Snoopy House
Currency Converter: * Exchange rates shown above are estimates only, and may vary slightly from the rates charged by PayPal or your Credit Card Company.
Product Information
Object | Assemble the plastic pieces |
Difficulty | Level 8 - Demanding |
Brand | Bepuzzled |
Types | 3D Crystal Puzzles, Plastic Interlocking Puzzles |
Packaging | Cardboard Box |
Total Pieces | 50 |
Product Description
Delight your mind and eyes with this 3 dimensional brainteaser of Snoopy and his house! When you've pieced its interlocking plastic pieces together (be ready for a challenge), its colorful, sleek design with brighten any room. Any Peanuts fan will be proud to show this amazing 3D puzzle off.


text:
Join the community [
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Trailer for "Midnight Special" Sci-Fi Film, with Michael Shannon and Joel Edgerton
Nov 23rd, 2015
Trailer for "Central Intelligence" Comedy, with Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart
Nov 23rd, 2015
Trailer for Melissa McCarthy's "The Boss" Comedy
Nov 23rd, 2015
Trailer for Juan Antonio Bayona's "A Monster Calls"
Nov 23rd, 2015
First Look at "Central Intelligence" Comedy, with Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart
Nov 19th, 2015
Trailer for "Zoolander 2" Arrives Online
Nov 19th, 2015
Official Trailer for "Now You See Me" Sequel
Nov 19th, 2015
Trailer for Chris Hemsworth's "The Huntsman: Winter's War"
Nov 19th, 2015
Trailer for Keanu Reeves' "Exposed" Thriller
Nov 19th, 2015
First Look at Chris Pine on "Wonder Woman" Set
Nov 16th, 2015
Ridley Scott Reveals Another Title for "Prometheus" Sequel
Nov 16th, 2015
Gerard Butler is a God in "Gods of Egypt" Posters
Nov 16th, 2015
First Look at Liam Neeson in Martin Scorsese's "Silence"
Nov 16th, 2015
New Trailer for "The Divergent Series: Allegiant"
Nov 16th, 2015
Trailer for "Moonwalkers" Comedy, with Ron Perlman and Rupert Grint
Nov 16th, 2015
Trailer for Charlie Kaufman's "Anomalisa" Stop-Motion Film
Nov 3rd, 2015
Poster for "Warcraft" Arrives Online, Trailer Coming on Friday
Nov 3rd, 2015
There's a Good Reason Why Luke Skywalker Isn't on "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" Poster
Nov 2nd, 2015
First Trailer for Sacha Baron Cohen's "The Brothers Grimsby" Comedy
Nov 2nd, 2015
"Spectre" Breaks Box Office Records Overseas
Nov 2nd, 2015
Final Trailer for Ron Howard's "In the Heart of the Sea," with Chris Hemsworth
Nov 2nd, 2015
New Photos From "Warcraft" Video Game Movie
Nov 2nd, 2015
Lots of New Photos From "Suicide Squad"
Oct 30th, 2015
Trailer for "Dirty Grandpa" Comedy, with Robert De Niro and Zac Efron
Oct 30th, 2015
Sandra Bullock to Star in Female Version of "Ocean's Eleven"
Oct 30th, 2015
Trailer for Jared Hess' "Don Verdean" Comedy, with Sam Rockwell
Oct 30th, 2015
"Indiana Jones" Producer Says Harrison Ford Will Not Be Recast
Oct 28th, 2015
Trailer for Adam Sandler's "The Ridiculous 6" Comedy
Oct 28th, 2015
"The Walking Dead" Fan Kills Friend Who Turned Into a Zombie
Oct 28th, 2015
Another "Monopoly" Movie in the Works
Oct 28th, 2015
"Jumanji" Remake Hires "Con Air" Writer
Oct 26th, 2015
Disney's "Tower of Terror" Park Ride Movie Moving Forward
Oct 26th, 2015
Johnny Depp and Edgar Wright Team for "Fortunately, the Milk"
Oct 26th, 2015
New Trailer for "Warm Bodies" Romantic Zombie Film
Posted: November 30th, 2012 by
WorstPreviews.com Staff
Summit Entertainment has unveiled a new trailer for the upcoming "Warm Bodies" romantic zombie film, which is based on a novel by Isaac Marion, and stars Nicholas Hoult (X-Men: First Class) and Teresa Palmer (I Am Number Four). Check it out below.
Plot: After a zombie (Hoult) becomes involved with the girlfriend (Palmer) of one of his victims, their romance sets in motion a sequence of events that might transform the entire lifeless world.
The new movie is written and directed by Jonathan Levine (50/50), and co-stars Rob Corddry, John Malkovich and Dave Franco. It's set to hit theaters on February 1st, 2013.
You must be registered to post comments.
Turn On
on November 30th, 2012 at 9:15:50 PM
I actually think this looks pretty good. I get the "Shaun of the Dead" vibe.
on November 30th, 2012 at 9:39:44 PM
Lame trailer. Looks really lazy, and if they can't get off their ass to do even a half-decent trailer, I'm not holding out much hope for the actual film.
on November 30th, 2012 at 9:42:25 PM
original .. therefor it has captured my simple mind
on November 30th, 2012 at 9:45:12 PM
At least you're honest.
on November 30th, 2012 at 10:36:59 PM
Dammit! For once I thought the title says "warm boobies".
on November 30th, 2012 at 10:43:09 PM
Not sure if trailer is kinda dull or if my lack of impression is supposed to create interest.
on December 1st, 2012 at 4:36:11 AM
I don't know if even having Rob Corddry and John Malkovich is enough to get me to watch it. I'll await it's arrival on the movie channel, and if I'm not doing something better like clipping my nails or f*cking another friend's mother... I may watch this.
on December 1st, 2012 at 4:38:24 AM
Yeah... it sucks. Maybe for a SNL skit. That's about it.
on December 1st, 2012 at 4:51:48 AM
John malkovich needs money.he also Starred in Jonah hex
on December 1st, 2012 at 6:07:59 AM
My Boyfriend's Back remake?
on December 3rd, 2012 at 3:06:38 PM
seems like it might be ok, but i just get the horrible feeling like it's too twilightish crossing over into zombies...next there will be a love story between wizards and witches, in a gay ass twilight way of course
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There's a Good Reason Why Luke Skywalker Isn't on "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" Poster
"The Walking Dead" Fan Kills Friend Who Turned Into a Zombie
"Indiana Jones" Producer Says Harrison Ford Will Not Be Recast
Ridley Scott Reveals Another Title for "Prometheus" Sequel
Johnny Depp and Edgar Wright Team for "Fortunately, the Milk"
"Spectre" Breaks Box Office Records Overseas
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" Demolishes Pre-Sale Records
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text:
List of places
Redirected from List of places in SpongeBob SquarePants
on ESB
This is a list of places in the SpongeBob SquarePants multiverse.
Cities and towns
Bikini Bottom
Bikini Bottom is the main setting in SpongeBob SquarePants. Bikini Bottom is a moderately sized city which, according to Squidward, it is in the middle of nowhere.[1] It consists of many businesses, including restaurants, stores, and manufacturers. This city also has a booming economy, balanced educational and health systems, a well-structured government, and an exceptional law enforcement system. There are even stadiums, amusement parks, and other recreational facilities.
Rock Bottom
Rock Bottom is a deep sea trench located beneath Bikini Bottom. The road down to Rock Bottom is exactly 90˚. Everything is pitch black except for a few street lights, and everyone in Rock Bottom speaks a language the same as English, except they blow a raspberry in between every two to four syllables. There is also a Kandy Machine as well as restrooms (though foreigners can't tell which room's for men and which is for women). A Bus Station is present, in which SpongeBob had a hard time catching one (as it kept arriving just as he looked away from the stop). Merlin's Cave is the residence of the weather magician of the sea which is difficult to access. There is also the WSEA news headquarters, the Rusty Anchor, which sells Coral Col and Diet Kelpsi with a lemon twist. Known customers are Patrick, Plankton, and Mermaid Man. In Battle for Bikini Bottom, the Rock Bottom Museum is shown. It features a lot of art work and has an advanced security system; Barnacle Boy works as a security guard there also. The Trench of Advanced Darkness is a trench that is lower than the city itself. Rock Bottom is located past Jellyfish Fields, which is past the Chum Bucket and Krusty Krab. Creatures in Rock Bottom are extremely strange looking, and resemble Deep Sea Creatures and Deep Sea Marine Life. Some resemble the Angler Fish, while others are rather abnormal. Many of them resemble the typical "sea monster" people would describe.
Bottom's Up
Bottom's Up is a very fancy city seen in the Employee of the Month video game. It is a sister city to Bikini Bottom. The only thing that's not fancy is Cowfish Craig's shack which he is criticized for. Other establishments include the Sublime Seafoods, Oxygen Springs, and the Waverly Hills neighborhood. Waverly Hills is a wealthy district on the cliffs of the Kelp Forest. The sky and water murk seems to be different here; it is always as if it is sunset. Once Sandy has been to this city.
Tentacle Acres
Tentacle Acres is a gated community of octopi living in Easter Island Heads. Sponges and starfish aren't allowed to even set foot in this town, but SpongeBob and Patrick got in thanks to fried oyster skins that Patrick had eaten earlier. Activities here include bike riding, clarinet playing, croquet, and interpretive dancing. However, childish games such as playing with reef blowers are not allowed in Tentacle Acres. Establishments besides the Easter Island heads, include the Full of Health grocery store, an Interpretive Dance Academy, a Park, Le Cafe (Food Stand) an Ice Cream Stand, and the Security Office. Only one street name was revealed, in which Squidward stayed on, was New Life Street (containing houses 302, 303, and 304) most of the people living there look like Squidward, just with different features (eyes, hair, etc.)
Shell City
Shell City, despite the name, is a gift shop called Shell City: Marine Gifts and Sundries. It is located on the surface owned by a Cyclops (in reality, a man in a diving suit), selling dried-out dead sea creatures. The road to Shell City is dangerous and no one has ever returned from there, which makes it the perfect place for Plankton to sell Neptune's crown. It is located on a beach where SpongeBob and Patrick meet David Hasselhoff. In a deleted scene of the movie, (which can only be seen in the SpongeBob SquarePants Movie DVD), Shell City is actually a city and is where Sandy constantly gets pursued all over the place by squirrel exterminators in black suits. She also mentions that there are buses that arrive here going to Bikini Bottom. Although Shell City was filmed in Florida, the location in SpongeBob's world would land Shell City in Australia most likely because a sign in a SpongeBob book based on the movie says that Shell City is 3,000 miles away from the Thug Tug. The Thug Tug is not that far from Bikini Bottom. Bikini Atoll is approx. 5,000 miles from the United States, which couldn't mark Shell City in California.
- Glove World! - A glove themed theme park. Rides include the Fiery Fist O' Pain, The Mitten, the Ferris Wheel, the Merry-Go-Round, the Swings, the Big Dipper, the Glove Drop, the Tilt-A-Hurl, the Hall of Mirrors, Glove Castle, and The Tunnel Of Glove. The mascot is Glovey Glove Seen in "Rock Bottom," "Roller Cowards," "The Abrasive Side," "Tunnel of Glove," and "Glove World R.I.P.."
- The Wash - The local laundromat. seen in Shuffleboarding, Penny Foolish, and Mid-Life Crustacean.
- Bikini Bottom Airport - The Bikini Bottom airport. It only appeared in "SpongeBob Meets the Strangler".
- Nowhere- It only appears in "SB-129". It is pure white and has colored squares that disappear if touched.
- Apple World - Mentioned by a worm in "Rock-a-Bye Bivalve". Inside any apple where there is a worm. The worm said that they will bury people in Bikini Bottom. He later gets eaten by Junior.
- Bikini Atoll - Bikini Atoll is the signature island above Bikini Bottom. The opening sequence of every episode of the show has the island shown right after Painty the Pirate (a painting) starts off the theme song. Sandy also dared SpongeBob, Patrick, Mr. Krabs, and Squidward to go on dry land here and survived in the episode Pressure (although birds did attack the group). Some episodes also start off and end with Bikini Atoll shown. To humans (like David Hasselhoff), the island also signals the way down to its aquatic counterpart. The place name is an ironic double entendre, as the bikini two piece swimsuit took its name from the atoll, specifically to the connection between the nuclear bomb test at Bikini around the time that the sexy new swimsuit hit the public "like a bomb".
- New Kelp City - A city where the gang The Bubble Poppin' Boys are. The city where SpongeBob goes to after losing his memory in the episode "What Ever Happened to SpongeBob?". It is a parody of New York City.
- Nowhere - A desert-like area with no inhabitants. It was seen in the episode "SpongeBob's Last Stand."
- Far Far Away - A bus takes SpongeBob here in "Squidward in Clarinetland." Also, Squidward gets hit by a bus that will take him there in "Wishing You Well." Little is known about Far Far Away. It's not known if it is a location or an amount of distance away.
- Ukulele Bottom - Nothing much we know of this town, apart from being the home of the annual jellyfish convention, located at the Jellyfishers' Convention Center. Appeared in "I Was a Teenage Gary" is another. It was mentioned by Patrick.
- Bass Vegas - A neighboring city from the Bikini Bottom. It was seen in the episode "Have You Seen This Snail?" It is featured in the book "Fish Happens!" It is the underwater equivalent of Las Vegas, Nevada.
- Atlantis - Home of King Neptune's castle and the Poseidome. In "Atlantis SquarePantis," SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, Sandy, and Mr. Krabs journey to Atlantis. It is based off the real-life Atlantis.
- Leisure Village - Not much is known about this place, except that Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy went there on vacation while SpongeBob and Patrick watched the Mermalair.
- Palm Bay - Palm Bay is home to the legendary master fry cook who wields a golden spatula. Grease fires engulf this civilization. Palm Bay spoofs Pompeii, another ancient city. Mentioned in Legend of the Lost Spatula. Mount Kabloovious erupts and covers Palm Bay. It is the equivalent of Mount Vesuvius.
- Barnacle Bay - A city that was mentioned in the episode "Fools in April". The only know establishment is the Art Museum, which also awards artists monthly. Also, as revealed in the SpongeBob book, "The Amazing SpongeBobini," a circus called the Stingray Brothers and Barnacle Bay Shrimp's Circus comes from this city and they performed in Bikini Bottom.
- Quittersville - As Mentioned in "Chimps Ahoy." One of the three places in which those have no where else can go to.
- Failuretown - One of the three places in which those have no where can else to go. As seen in "Chimps Ahoy."
- Loserburg - One of the three places in which those have no where can else to go. As seen in "Chimps Ahoy."
- Stupidtown - It was mentioned is when Patrick was sweeping the Krusty Krab floor with the bottom of the broom, and Nat said "Hey pal, you just blow in from Stupidtown?"
- China Sea - A place where one of SpongeBob's Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy toys were manufactured in. This location is likely a play on how all manufacturing for the United States takes place in China.
- Sunny Shore Resorts - A vacation resort as seen in "That's No Lady."
- Base Eight - A town where all the fish have fingers. Appears in the SpongeBob comic strip "Fingers!".
- Texas the U.S. State in which Sandy Cheeks calls her homeland.
- Encino, California - Patchy the Pirate and Potty the Parrot's hometown.
- Mu - An ancient city, seen in the DS version of the Atlantis SquarePantis
- video game.
- Farawayville - mentioned in the episode "The Slumber Party." Girly TeenGirl lives there.
- Squirrel City - mentioned by Sandy Cheeks in the video game Atlantis SquarePantis for Wii game console.
- El Tuna - Mentioned briefly in "SpongeBob's Last Stand".
- Kahmamoku Cove - The home of Jack Kahuna Laguna on a remote island that was shown in "SpongeBob SquarePants vs. The Big One."
- Bikini Bottom Outskirts Outlet Megamall - a huge outlet mall that has only had one appearance in "A SquarePants Family Vacation." The SquarePants family caused chaos while driving in their car in the mall after Patrick distracted Harold SquarePants while driving.
- BassCar Baytona 400 - a huge race track that is neighboring the Bikini Bottom Outskirts Outlet Mega-mall. The SquarePants family won first place in a race there after Patrick distracted Harold SquarePants while driving. It has only had one appearance in "A SquarePants Family Vacation." It is a parody of NASCAR and the Daytona 500, a famous race of NASCAR.
- Servis Stashun- a very poorly put together, hillbilly service station that has only appeared in "A SquarePants Family Vacation."
- The Moon - the moon has had its very brief debut in the episode "Sandy's Rocket." It was then later seen many seasons later in "Mooncation" and a cameo in "A SquarePants Family Vacation."
- Vats of Acid "R" Us - a parody of "Toys R Us," this odd building was build right beside the apartment building of the original home town of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. It was featured in "Mermaid Man Begins."
- Winchell Apartments- an apartment building from the 1950s that was the original home of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. It only appeared in "Mermaid Man Begins."
- Secret Bomb Testing Facility - a Government bomb testing sight that Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy land at after being brought by an acid wave that was carrying them. It was featured in "Mermaid Man Begins".
- Stinky Burgers - A place that was the only place to eat when Krabs and Plankton were younger boys.
- The Outs Bounds Area - A part of the Battle for Bikini Bottom game, its a place that you get to by going on sand and doing some sort of sliding move, you eventually get palled away by Hans.
- Make-Out Reef - This was mentioned in Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V, and seen in the episode. There are a few people making out there, including one unusual person, making out with a pillow. It has also been said that Squidward has been there before, because of his quote "Ah, make out reef. Good times, good times."
- Great Barrier Reef - The largest coral reef system were appeared in "A SquarePants Family Vacation".
- Bottom of the Hill Community - A small community of elderly men and women near Bikini Bottom., seen in the comic strip Slip-Sledding Away.
- Rippers Reef - An island located just of SpongeBob, Patrick and Larry the Lobster shot in this place in the episode "A Life in a Day".
- The Bikini Bottom Triangle - seen in "Welcome To The Bikini Bottom Triangle". The island has a large vacuum and is covered edge to edge with confiscated things.
- Karate Island (really Condo Island) - An island where the so-called "King of Karate" is supposedly crowned, but was later found out to actually be a scam from real estate agents who were trying to force people into buying time-share plans on the island. The "Karate Tower" is located on the island. It appears in "Karate Island".
- Sun Fun Island - An island where a summer camp has been established. It appears in "The Inmates of Summer".
- Inferno Island - A prison island where some of Bikini Bottom's criminals are incarcerated. It appears in "The Inmates of Summer".
- The Remote Island - the island where SpongeBob, Patrick and Squidward end up after being hit by a giant wave in "SpongeBob SquarePants vs. The Big One". The island is also home to teenage surfers and Jack Kahuna Lagunait from a distance. The island also has a long dangerous river full of waterfalls which leads to the Cove. The island is also full of vegetation and forest, perfect for surviving.
- Sandy's Island - An island that Sandy got stranded on after being hit by the same giant wave in the episode "SpongeBob SquarePants vs. The Big One". For survival, Sandy built a five-star hotel, a steam-powered generator, a car that runs on coconut milk, an espresso bar, an airport tower with satellite and a helicopter that probably also runs on coconut milk, too. The island is also home to Dennis. The island has three volcanoes on it and much vegetation.
- Island in the Sky - The floating island that was featured in the SpongeBob special, "The Clash of Triton". This was the place where Triton was locked in a cage by his father, King Neptune until he became a proper god. Much of the island has not been seen, and the rest of the island will probably be left unseen. The island has a forest, a mountain, a bus stop and a phone booth.
- Pamper Island - This island has only one extremely brief appearance in the episode "Clams."
Land forms, barriers, etc.
- Monster Trench - The Monster Trench is a large trench in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, described as deep, dark, hazardous, and monster infested. A parody of the Mariana Trench. The trench includes gulper eels, monsters, and other deep-sea creatures whom suffer from Deep-sea gigantism.
- Valley - Between the Monster Trench and Shell City, this is where The Cyclops spotted SpongeBob and Patrick.
- Shell City Beach Area - Area located outside of Shell City, by the Pacific Ocean.
- City Limits - This is near the slope to Rock Bottom outside Bikini Bottom. Buses usually travel down there where SpongeBob and Patrick got stuck in the episode "Rock Bottom".
- County Line - This is next to the gas station outside Bikini Bottom operated by two Hillbillies. Past the line is very dangerous, and overrun with criminals.
- Abyss - Another trench SpongeBob and Patrick accidentally went down in a submarine they found and met a hungry sea-monster that they fed Krabby Patties in "20,000 Patties Under the Sea".
Alternate universes/realities
- Alternate Realities - There are also two alternate dimensions shown in the series: The Fly of Despair, a reality which is apparently endless, which the Flying Dutchman can open, and close freely and an area inside the time machine, the Nowhere, seen in SB-129, which is also infinite, and nothing but stark white. It may be a reference to Purgatory. The Eighth and Ninth Dimensions are mentioned by Patrick Star in "Big Pink Loser", which are apparently tyrannically ruled by the Mini-Monkey Man and Giant Monkey Man, respectively.
- Mirrors - A universe that is confined within mirrors. Alternate-Universe SpongeBob and Alternate-Universe Patrick live in this realm.
- Horned Forest - A world in Squidward's imagination where clarinets cannot be owned and are able to run free. Squidward entered it in Squidward in Clarinetland when SpongeBob made a filing room out of Mr. Krabs's old locker. There was a small crawlspace where a filing drawer should have been, and on the other side is a stage, and the curtain opens up to Clarinetland. Clarinetland is ruled by the Clarinetlanet Bird, which resembles looks like an eagle, and speaks in a very deep and powerful tone. During his time in Clarinet Land, Squidward is swallowed by the Clarinet Bird, and then goes through a very complex realm, which consists of many hills, rocks, mountains, and long-drops. For some reason, the entire land inside of Clarinet Bird is yellow. When Squidward comes to what he thinks is the end of the realm inside The Clarinet Bird, he sees SpongeBob playing his clarinet, and dives on top of him, hoping to get his clarinet back, when the end of the realm is revealed to be the peak of an extremely long-drop, which both Squidward and SpongeBob fall down. When Squidward hits the bottom, he discovers that SpongeBob has disappeared and that he is suddenly in a small room,with mirrors on either side of him.
- Unknown Space: After Squidward got passed Giant Patrick, and the A.U Squidward, he then chases SpongeBob in space, unknown where they can be in space.
- Alternative Mr. Plankton Universe - An alternative universe where Plankton replaces Mr. Krabs as the boss of the Krusty Krab, Pearl being Plankton's daughter, and having a Krusty Krab uniform and Mr. Krabs replacing Plankton as the owner of the Chum Bucket and him having no clothes.
- Man Rayopolis - An alternate universe that was branched off back in Mermaidman and Barnacleboy's youth. Triggered by Patrick, the universe consists of Bikini Bottom being named Man Rayopolis and The Krusty Krab being named The Designated Area Where You Are Permitted by Man Ray, Your Ruler, to Obtain Sandwiches Using Man Ray Dollars. Everything is run by Man Ray including people, having collars around their necks. Yet its never explained in the end of the feature episode Back to the Past, how things went back to normal.
This page uses content from Wikipedia (original • authors). Both Encyclopedia SpongeBobia and Wikipedia are licensed under the CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported license. |


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Wag Bags® poop pickup soft-pouch dispenser Starter Pack, Skull & Crossbones pattern with 30 Black unscented Bags. Attaches with a velcro loop.
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Plant Identification: CLOSED: Please help ID this tree in Somerville, Tx, 3 by rose_petalzz
Communities > Forums
Image Copyright rose_petalzz
Subject: CLOSED: Please help ID this tree in Somerville, Tx
Forum: Plant Identification
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rose_petalzz wrote: Hi, here are pictures taken this past weekend of this tree, if anyone knows what it is, please let me know and thanks! It is tall, big mitten leaves(not many), golden color right now and falling. Some leaves are regular and some are mitten shaped. The bark is grey and white, pretty actually. If you see holes in the leaves, that was hail a couple of weeks ago. Have never seen flowers or fruit on this tree, but it is so tall. Single trunk. |
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As farms are often in isolated locations and have a variety of machinery, livestock and buildings on site, you should take care to protect these items from thieves.
Farm Buildings
If your farm buildings and barns contain equipment such as machinery, quad bikes, power tools and fuel, then please follow the below advice to help make your property more secure:
1. Lock any doors into these buildings. Use a good quality locks and padlocks that comply with British Standards.
2. If you have windows on your buildings, then again remember to shut and lock them, using good quality locks. Also add metal bars or grilles to them, or block them up.
3. Use security lights around the perimeter of your buildings that light up the area from dusk until dawn - it is less likely that a thief will strike somewhere if they can be seen.
4. Install an alarm on your buildings, and consider introducing CCTV onto your property.
For tips on how to protect your farm house, please visit our 'how to protect your home' section (link).
Taking care of your boundaries can help to prevent thieves from gaining access. Remove any access points that aren't used and try to establish just one entry and exit point. There are a variety of security systems that you can purchase to use at these points, such as intercoms, infrared or keypads. All gates should be padlocked, and invert and cap gate hinges to prevent them from being lifted off. Hedges can also work well as natural boundaries, particularly if they are thorny.
Machinery and Tools
- Lock tools and small machinery inside a secure building.
- You should treat any vehicles on your property in the same way as you would if they weren't - never leave keys in unattended vehicles. Make sure any doors are locked and secured. Keep the keys in a safe place and out of view. Also consider using wheel clamps, ground anchors and hitch locks.
- Security mark your tools and machinery with your post code and property name. Keep any security numbers in a safe place, including the model, chassis and serial numbers. Forensic marking products are also available for you to use on machinery, and you can etch or stamp your property as well to provide visible signs that they are marked.
- You could also fit tracking devices to your machinery or a data tracking chip.
Diesel / Heating Oil
• Hide your oil tank so you're not a target for thieves in the first place - if they can't see it, they won't know it's there.
• Plant shrubs or install fences to conceal your tank from view.
• Check your tank's oil levels on a regular basis.
• Consider using a dye in your diesel so it makes it less attractive to thieves.
• Ensure your tank is securely locked.
• Be extra vigilant of tankers or large vehicles close to your property. Note down any registration numbers of vehicles you think look suspicious and report them to Gwent Police by calling 101.
• Where possible, install security lighting that covers your tank.
• Consider moving it to an area or building where it is better protected.
• Talk to your supplier about buying devices to protect your tank. These include anti-tamper alarms, cap locking devices and oil level monitors.


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Manhattan Office
25 Central Park West, Suite 1T
New York, New York 10023
Brooklyn Office:
208 Smith Street
Brooklyn, New York 11201
Welcome to the dental offices of Drs. Bela and Garry Levingart. At our Manhattan and Brooklyn offices, we are dedicated to providing the finest dental care available. Exemplary patient care, outstanding aesthetic results, compassion and integrity are the cornerstones of our dental practice. Incorporating the latest technology, our state-of-the-art practice specializes in preventive, cosmetic, restorative and implant dentistry.
Your visits with us are all about you, your happiness, your comfort and your dental health. Our patients expect and receive the finest care with a gentle touch each and every time they see us. In the 21st century, dentistry has evolved into a science that maintains function, form, health and a beautiful smile for a lifetime.
The more you know, the better equipped you are to make wise decisions about your health care. Among our most important functions is to educate our patients as to their treatment options. At our state of the art dental practices, we take the time to speak to you about your treatment goals and Drs. Bela and Garry Levingart will make recommendations allowing you to make the most educated oral health care decisions.
We invite you to contact our office to learn more about achieving the smile of your dreams.
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Our mission is to provide the highest quality dental care to our patients through the use of the best available technology, in a comfortable, caring and positive environment.
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Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Extends on Broadway Through February 24
Bethany Rickwald • New York City • Oct 18, 2012
The current Broadway run of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? has been extended through February 24, 2013. The production, which officially opened on October 13, is playing at the Booth Theatre and was originally on sale only through January 27. Pam MacKinnon directs.
In the production, Tracy Letts and Amy Morton face off as George and Martha in front of Carrie Coon and Madison Dirks as the unwitting young couple invited over for an unforgettable night of cocktails and crossfire.
The design team features Todd Rosenthal (set design), Nan Cibula-Jenkins (costume design), Allen Lee Hughes (lighting design), and Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen (sound design).
Click here for TheaterMania's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? review.
And click here for TheaterMania's "Bros on Broadway" take on the production.
For more information and tickets to Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, click here.
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The England fly-half suffered knee-ligament damage on January 8 in a European Cup clash against Perpignan and the initial diagnosis put his recovery time at between six and eight weeks.
England, who badly missed Wilkinson's goal-kicking as they slipped to defeat against France on Sunday, travel to Dublin to play championship favourites Ireland on February 27.
Charlie Hodgson and Olly Barkley missed six penalties and a drop-goal between them as France snatched an 18-17 win at Twickenham, leaving the England supporters pining for Wilkinson's return.
But Andrew warned he will not be available for Test duty until the Italy game at Twickenham on March 12.
''Jonny will not be fit in time for England's game against Ireland but he has a chance of being ready for the matches with Italy and Scotland,'' he told the Evening Standard.
''Charlie and Olly Barkley are proven kickers in the Premiership but there is a lot more pressure at Test level. We have seen Jonny prove he can handle it in his career but he's not ready yet to return. We are monitoring him closely,'' said Andrew.
Wilkinson sustained the injury in Perpignan in only his second match back after severe bruising to his bicep ruled him out of England's autumn internationals against Canada, South Africa and Australia.
Wilkinson also missed the 2004 RBS 6 Nations after undergoing surgery to correct a long-standing problem in his shoulder and has not played for England since the World Cup final in November 2003.
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The Poison Sky
192b – "The Poison Sky" | |||||
Doctor Who episode | |||||
The Valiant firing at the ATMOS Factory.
Cast | |||||
Production | |||||
Directed by | Douglas Mackinnon | ||||
Written by | Helen Raynor | ||||
Script editor | Nikki Smith | ||||
Produced by | Susie Liggat | ||||
Executive producer(s) | Russell T Davies Julie Gardner Phil Collinson |
Incidental music composer | Murray Gold | ||||
Production code | 4.5 | ||||
Series | Series 4 | ||||
Length | 2nd of 2-part story, 45 minutes | ||||
Originally broadcast | 3 May 2008[1] | ||||
Chronology | |||||
"The Poison Sky" is the fifth episode of the fourth series (since revival) of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 3 May 2008. The episode features both former companion Martha Jones and the alien Sontarans. It is the second of a two-part story, following "The Sontaran Stratagem".
Immediately after the events of "The Sontaran Stratagem", the Doctor attempts to deactivate the ATMOS devices while Sylvia frees Wilfred from her car by smashing the windscreen with an axe. The Doctor tells Donna's family to get inside and seal the windows and doors as best they can. He and Donna return to the ATMOS factory, where the Doctor warns UNIT not to engage the Sontarans. The Doctor tells Donna to stay in the TARDIS for her own safety, but the Sontarans locate and teleport the TARDIS aboard their ship. Meanwhile, the clone of Martha has given the Sontarans information and control over UNIT's computer systems.
The Doctor speaks to General Staal and learns that the Sontaran war with the Rutan Host is not going well, so the Sontarans need to convert Earth to a breeding planet where they can clone more troops. When the Sontarans prevent UNIT from launching a nuclear missile at their ship with help from the cloned Martha, the Doctor works out that since their ship was quite safe, the Sontarans were really preventing the disruption of their atmospheric conversion. UNIT attempt an attack on the ATMOS factory, but the Sontarans easily overwhelm their troops. UNIT manages a counterattack and calls in the aircraft carrier Valiant, which puts the Sontarans on the defensive. Finding the TARDIS missing, the Doctor sends Donna a coded message while speaking to General Staal and tells her to find and re-engage the teleport pods. Following UNIT's offensive, the Doctor ventures into the factory and discovers the real Martha in one of the Sontaran's cloning devices. Having long suspected the truth, the Doctor awakens the real Martha, killing the clone in the process. He tells Martha to keep UNIT from launching any missiles and rushes off.
The Doctor tells Donna how to use the teleport pods to return to Earth, and then uses the teleport to return the TARDIS to Earth. They teleport with Martha to Rattigan's institution, finding him distraught over the potential disaster to Earth that he caused. The Doctor collects the necessary equipment to construct his own atmospheric converter, which would harmlessly ignite the poison gas across the globe and end the threat. The poison gas burns off in the atmosphere and the Earth is saved. The Doctor is aware the Sontarans will not concede defeat but feels that he needs to give them a chance to withdraw. He teleports to the Sontaran ship and offers Staal the chance to retreat, but Staal calls the Doctor's bluff and encourages him to destroy them. Humbled, Rattigan reactivates the teleport and switches places with the Doctor, sacrificing himself to activate the device and destroy the Sontarans.
Afterward, Martha says goodbye to Donna and the Doctor inside the TARDIS and prepares to head home. Before she can leave however, the TARDIS doors suddenly snap shut and it dematerialises. Trapped on board, Martha is transported with the Doctor and Donna to an unknown destination, as the Doctor's severed hand begins to bubble in its jar under the console.
Just as Donna moves towards the TARDIS screen while the Doctor contacts the Sontarans, Rose Tyler briefly appears on the screen, silently calling out. This follows a similarly silent appearance in "Partners in Crime". The Valiant, the primary setting for the climax of "The Sound of Drums" and much of "Last of the Time Lords", is seen again in this episode when it is used by UNIT to clear the poisonous gas from the atmosphere over the ATMOS factory. It is also equipped with a scaled-down version of the Torchwood weapon that destroyed the Sycorax ship in "The Christmas Invasion".[2]
The Doctor remarks to Colonel Mace, "At times like this, I could do with the Brigadier...no offence." To which Colonel Mace responds, " None taken. Sir Alistair is a fine man, if not the best. Unfortunately, he's stranded in Peru." This is a reference to UNIT founder Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, who first appeared in the Season 5 serial The Web of Fear (1968). Radio callsigns for UNIT personnel remain "Grayhound" and "Trap" (each followed by numbers), just as they were during all of the UNIT stories during the Third Doctor's era. The Doctor jokingly asks Colonel Mace, "Are you my mummy?" while wearing a gas mask - a reference to a line spoken by gas mask-wearing characters in "The Empty Child" / "The Doctor Dances".[3][4]
This episode and the previous episode were filmed over five weeks, beginning in September 2007. Post-production was completed a week before the first part aired.[5]
During production, director Douglas Mackinnon intended to have the episode's climactic scene in the TARDIS show the moveable column in the centre console move up and down much more rapidly than normal. However, when attempting to accomplish this, Mackinnon ended up breaking the prop, which took thirty minutes to repair.[6]
When interviewed on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, Catherine Tate stated that she had been filming alongside ten actors playing Sontarans for two weeks before she realised that there were actors inside the Sontaran costumes. She had assumed the Sontarans "ran on electricity". It was not until an actor removed his helmet to reveal his real face that she realised her mistake. She stated she was "freaked out" by this and said she "nearly died".[7][8]
When the Doctor interrupts the Sontarans' transmission, animated footage from CBeebies's part live action, part animation[9] eco adventure show Tommy Zoom is brought up on screen featuring the villainous Polluto disguised as a magician and the heroic Tommy and his dog Daniel as his audience.[10] Originally, the plan was to use Shaun the Sheep, but this fell through.[2]
As in many previous episodes of the revived series, supposed BBC News 24 footage is used featuring reports of unfolding events. However, as with the more recent appearances of such footage in Doctor Who, the channel is simply captioned on screen as 'News 24' devoid of the BBC logo. Since this episode was produced, the BBC News 24 channel was rebranded in real life as BBC News.[11]
Donna's mispronunciation of Sontaran stems from the original production of The Time Warrior, the first Doctor Who serial to feature the Sontarans. Kevin Lindsay, who portrayed Linx in the story, pronounced the word as it has always been used, with emphasis on "Son-TAR-an", whereas the director Alan Bromly wanted it pronounced with no emphasis. Kevin Lindsay won the argument, claiming "I'm from the bloody planet, I think I know how to pronounce my own name!"
Scenes at the Rattigan Academy were filmed at Margam Country Park, Port Talbot.[12]
Unofficial overnight figures indicated that "The Poison Sky" was watched by 5.9 million viewers, giving it a 32.5% share of the total television audience. The final consolidated figure was 6.53 million viewers. It was the second most watched programme of the day, being beaten by ITV's Britain's Got Talent, which got 9.12 million viewers.[13] It was the highest rated programme on BBC1 for the day and the 18th most watched of the week. The episode received an Appreciation Index score of 88 (considered "Excellent").[14]
- ^ "War on Earth!". Doctor Who Magazine (394). 2008-04-03. pp. 12–13.
- ^ a b "Fact File for "The Poison Sky"". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
- ^ Steven Moffat (writer), James Hawes (director), Phil Collinson (producer) (21 May 2005). "The Empty Child". Doctor Who. Series 1. Episode 9. BBC. BBC One.
- ^ "Fear Forecast for "The Poison Sky"". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
- ^ "Dr Who Coup for Mackinnon". allmediascotland. 2008-04-25. Retrieved 2008-05-03.
- ^ "Doctor Who's Tardis wrecked by Scots director". sundaymail.co.uk. 2008-05-04. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
- ^ "Friday 4th April 2008". Friday Night with Jonathan Ross. London. 2008-04-04. BBC. BBC One.
- ^ "When Catherine Tate Met the Sontarans - Jonathan Ross - BBC One". BBC. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
- ^ "On TV". BBC. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
- ^ "Tommy Zoom". BBC. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
- ^ "BBC News". BBC News. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
- ^ "Walesarts, Margam Country Park, Port Talbot". BBC. Retrieved 2010-05-30.
- ^ "Weekly Viewing Summary w/e 04/05/2008". BARB. 2008-05-14. Retrieved 2008-05-14.
- ^ Marcus (2008-05-05). "The Poison Sky - AI and Digital Ratings". Outpost Gallifrey. Archived from the original on 3 May 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-05.
External links[edit]
Wikiquote has quotations related to: Tenth Doctor |
- The Poison Sky on TARDIS Data Core, an external wiki
- "The Poison Sky" at the BBC Doctor Who homepage
- "The Sontaran Stratagem" / "The Poison Sky" at Doctor Who: A Brief History of Time (Travel)
- "The Sontaran Stratagem" / "The Poison Sky" at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
- "The Poison Sky" at the Internet Movie Database