Life UAT

Dedicated readers like Kindle or Sony Book will never become ‘big’… They are missing two key features: COLOR and versatility. Why do you need color? This was the same question asked when computer monitors only came in monochrome. This was the same question asked when printers only printed black & white. The answer is the same: HUMANS LIKE COLOR. I’ll stick with my iPhone, arguably the best gadget ever designed. I get a small, yet readable size, COLOR (dark red on parchment is EASY on the eyes), I can read in the dark (it IS very helpful such as on dimly lit subways), AND I can get books from almost anywhere such as eReader.com. Of course, the iPhone is also a phone, browser, media player, scheduling center, entertainment center, database, etc. etc. etc.

tim Entertainment, Life, Music, Photography, Productivity, Tech, WEB, iPhone

This is a superb, fast, and versatile ripper/converter.

Quoted from http://www.poikosoft.com/index.html:

Easy CD-DA Extractor – Music Converter

Latest version: 10.2.2

Easy CD-DA Extractor is a music converter that copies music CDs, converts music files from one format to another, and burns music CDs, MP3 CDs, WMA CDs, and regular Data CDs. Supports all popular audio file formats such as 3G2, 3GP, MP1, MP2, MP3, Windows Media Audio, Ogg Vorbis, MP4, M4A, AAC, aacPlus (HE-AAC, AAC+, HE-AAC+PS, eAAC+), FLAC, Musepack, WavPack, WAV, AIFF, Monkey’s Audio, CUE and M3U. Easy CD-DA Extractor is a four-in-one software that includes the following modules:

1) Audio CD Ripper Rips audio CDs with accurate, secure, high-performance CD ripping engine. Bypasses ‘copy-protections’. Reads CDs that are in bad condition and reports possible errors on the disc. Automatically downloads disc information such as Artist, Track Titles, etc, and Cover Art image from the Internet. Allows editing of ID3/metadata and can embed advanced metadata fields such as Cover Art image to the files. Includes advanced audio processing features such as Peak Level Normalization, RMS Normalization, and Fade In/Out.

2) Audio File Format Converter Music Converter – Converts audio files from one format to another. Allows editing of ID3/metadata and can embed advanced metadata fields such as Cover Art image to the files. Cover Art images can be downloaded from the Internet using the brilliant ‘Amazon Search’ feature. Can perform advanced audio processing such as Peak Level Normalization, RMS Normalization, and Fade In/Out.

3) Audio CD Creator Writes Audio CDs that are compatible with all home/car CD-players. Burns Audio CDs on-the-fly from all audio file formats. Writes CD-Text (a CD-Text compatible CD-player can display the track titles while playing the CD). BURN-Proof enabled for error-free CD burning.

4) MP3/WMA CD Creator Writes MP3 CDs and WMA CDs that are playable on a CD/DVD-player that supports the feature. MP3 and WMA CDs can also be played on a regular CD-ROM drive of a computer. Supports long JOLIET-filenames. Can also be used to write standard Data CDs. BURN-Proof enabled for error-free CD burning.

State-of-the-art audio encoding technology – Easy CD-DA Extractor includes the most advanced audio codec, aacPlus from the Coding Technologies.

admin Application, Entertainment, Music, Utilities, Vista64

I’ve always embraced open-source applications. I find that they are almost always more innovative and versatile than commercial-grown versions. Just look at FireFox and Thunderbird! Anyway, ROCKbox is a great example of open-source at it’s best.

Basically, ROCKbox installs another OS (they call it firmware, but it’s really an OS for the player in much the same way Linux is an OS for a PC.) onto your iPod. The OS completely replaces your original iPod OS in functionality. It would take hours to completely describe to you all of the functions and configurations available in the ROCKbox OS, so I’ll just sum it up: WOW. This OS is named right, it ROCKS.

Completely skin-able via themes, fonts, and icons… it is a whole different and very welcomed change to the old iPod OS. But the real power is in it’s configurability. Every aspect of playing music and operating the device is highly configurable down to the smallest detail. Wouldn’t it be nice to have the Hold switch turn off the backlight? Wouldn’t that be GREAT?!?!? Well, you can in ROCKbox along with setting the backlight to Off, ON, and pretty much any timed setting from 1 to 90 seconds. Want to play OGG files? You can and almost any other non-DRM file type.

You say you still want to play your purchased DRM protected iTunes music? ROCKbox also allows dual-booting into your old iPod OS where nothing was changed!

Installation is fairly simple, but techie:

1. Download the OS for your device.
2. Attach your iPod as a disc drive.
3. Extract the ZIP archive onto the iPod.
4. Download and run the iPod patcher (see instructions on ROCKbox site.)
5. ENJOY.

Don’t have an iPod? ROCKbox also supports Archos, iRiver, Cowon, Toshiba, and SanDisk devices.

Go to the ROCKbox site and read up on this amazing software and give it a try!

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admin DRM, Entertainment, Life, Music, Tech, Utilities

I have iPods. I love iPods. I have iTunes. I love iTunes. I HATE the DRM imposed on iTunes. Purchasing all of that music on iTunes and then you want to play it on a non-iPod… you CAN’T. WHY? You paid for it… why are you restricted to playing it on an Apple device? The Hymn Project answers this with a utility that removes the DRM on your iTunes music thereby allowing you to play this music on your ‘other’ media player.

Warning #1: Yes, it’s your music, but that doesn’t give you the right to give or sell it away! This utility is only to be used for your own use on music that you own.

Warning #2: This utility is not for the faint-of-heart. It is a techy utility and requires some setup, but it DOES work.

Disclaimer: I am NOT liable for any damage to your iTunes library (highly unlikely – especially if you backup FIRST) or am I responsible for any miss-use of this utility (like selling the unprotected music).

I used it on the latest version of iTunes (7.1) and it converted all of my protected music to non-DRM music. The installation is manual, but not too hard and the conversion is slow. The utility removes the DRM from the music and keeps a backup of the original DRM version.

Just follow the instructions that comes with the ZIP archive and you will be on your way to DRM free music!

Horray! Now I’m playing my converted iTunes music on Windows Media Player!

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digg Application, DRM, Entertainment, Music, Tech, Utilities

Everyone that knows me will remember what I have been saying for years: that media and communications will all merge onto the internet. Joost is, and I’m officially coining this acronym, a TVOIP (TV Over IP) application.

It has a very slick interface installed into your Windows desktop and is actually quite responsive. I’ve run it so far on a ‘low-end’ system ( 3yr old 2.8 GHz 1GB P4 system using the existing Intel 82865G graphic chipset on the motherboard).

There are many available on-demand channels like MTV and National Geographic and it was just announced that Viacom and CBS have signed on.

The next step would be for live TV… how ’bout it Joost?

Right now Joost is in Beta and is invitation only… drop me an email and I’ll send you an invite…

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admin Application, Entertainment, Life, WEB