"Gmail This" Bookmarklet (in a tab)

I picked up the "Gmail This" bookmarklet a while ago and use it alot (also see Lifehacker). But I noticed two things recently when I upgraded to Firefox 2.0.

1. The popup window does not focus in the front when activating the bookmarklet.
2. I realized I don't like popup windows in the first place! I noticed the new "Email This" Firefox add-on opens a new tab. I wish I had a simple bookmarklet that opened a tab (without installing an extension).

So I realized I ought to modify the javascript in the bookmarklet myself, to get what I want. This version will simply do a document.open() and if "New pages should be opened in: a new tab" is selected in your preferences (which is the default), then Gmail will open in a new tab. This version also includes any selected text in the new message.

Here it is. Drag this bookmarklet -->Gmail This, to your bookmarks toolbar.

p.s. This was all tested on Firefox. I have no idea if it will work in IE, but it might with IE7.

Lightbulb with reflection

More samples of my amatuer work in 3D using Maya. We have been covering all the details of modeling and lighting, so I built a lightbulb casting light but also reflecting the objects it is illuminating.

I created the bulb by rotating curves for the glass and top parts of the bulb and then assigning associated materials. Then there are three lights:

bulbAreaLight - a mental ray area light that illuminates the bulb from the inside. I adjusted the transparency, translucence, and glow intensity (special effects) on the blinn material for the glass so that this light comes out of the bulb and makes the glass glow.

topLight - lights the top of the bulb so we can see that detail. Used light linking so that this light only illuminates the top parts of the bulb, not the glass. Otherwise you get weird shadows.

realLight - this is the real light cast by the bulb that illuminates the red balls. To get the glass of the bulb to reflect the objects, I set mental ray to emit photons and blinn automatically reflects.