July 21, 2009
Jammin' in July:
Here's a list of some of the music I recently acquired. Where do I get all this stuff? I find a lot of free (actually free) music by visiting several of the new music web sites (Pandora, 3hive.com, musicalfamilytree.org) out there, and listening to a few different music podcasts (iTunes new music tuesdays, a friends podcast, and indiefeed). Artists want you to hear their music - If you like it, you'll buy it. The major labels want you to pay for their product - letting you hear it for free is contrary to their business model. Well, guess what? I won't buy it unless I can listen to it first. The major labels are killing themselves with their restrictive distribution and dissemination policies. If you like new music, you can do a google search to find your favorite artists web site, a new music web site, or an archive of free music. Free music is available - Legally! Don't believe the major labels propaganda - Not all free music is illegal. You can legally download music for free. I download music from websites, newsgroups (when I already own rights to the music), and a couple of commercial sources (iTunes and eMusic). Here's a listing of some of the music I legally downloaded.
iTunes New Music Tuesday download:
Sometimes I purchase music from iTunes, and sometimes I take advantage of their free downloads (check it out on Tuesdays). iTunes is the King of the Hill when it comes to the bigger names, so sometimes I find that I have to pay the higher prices. Here's a couple of free downloads from the iTunes store. Thanks Apple!:
* Fireflies - Owl City: (1 song) Voco-dubbed-vocals, sticky sweet lyrics, and blippity beeping, mid-tempo, disco-synth, electronic tunes. Great stuff. Very dreamy, very eighties. Reminds me of David Bowie and Peter Schilling.
* Heavy Cross - Gossip: (1 song) A
band I first heard back in 2007, and I'm liking them more and more, the more I hear them. This single continues their great sound. Rock, pop, great guitar work and excellent keyboards. I like it.
Web site downloads:
I download music from plenty of websites (not counting commercial websites). The websites of the artists, the artists label, music festival websites, music review sites, etc, etc. Their are gobs of places where you can find free music. We're in a whole new era now. Gone are the monopolistic controls of the music industry. Music is becoming free - Free to anyone who takes the time to look for it. If you can't find free, legal, music - you're not looking very hard. Recently (since mid July, 2009), I've started using a new application to discover, download and enjoy some musical offerings. The application is called Peel (available for the Mac). It's an aggregator. Plug in your favorite music blogs and it checks for new downloads, allows you to browse the website, and even sets up downloads to iTunes or elsewhere. Makes my music discovery efforts easier. I like it!
* Person to Person - Foreign Born: (2 songs) Two songs from the album - Person to Person. Great acoustic/drum work (slightly psychedelic, part folk) mixed with snappy lyrics and smooth vocals. Added to my eMusic want list.
* Death's Black Train is Coming - Gob Iron: (1 song)
Gob Iron is a side project by Jay Farrar (from Son Volt and Uncle Tupelo before that) and Anders Parker of Varnaline. Great guitar-based music with a folk/country vibe. Liked this song so much that I added the album (Death Songs for the Living (the only album produced by this duo) to my eMusic 'saved for later' list.
* Julian Plenti is Skyscraper - Julian Plenti: (2 songs) Two songs from the Album 'Julian Plenti is...'
Who is Julian Plenti? Interpol front man Paul Banks is Julian Plenti. Here's a solo effort by Paul Banks. I thought I recognized that voice. Great electro-rock packs tunes a plenti. Not available on eMusic... yet.
* Girl Monster - Chicks on Speed: (1 song)
German electro-pop trio. Sounds like Berlin, Devo, B-52s. Happy, shiny, pop with synchro-castic, bombastic lyrics.
These are some of the items I added to my music collection during the last month. Since revamping my music collection back in September of 2005, I've been slowly adding, revising and updating the collection. If you have a comment, question or correction regarding my music collection, please don't hesitate to send me an email. Please keep in mind that my collection isn't for sale, and I'm not interested in giving you any copyrighted materials. I'd rather not go to jail for music piracy. :-)
<https://www.robsworld.org/music.html>
<http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/>
<http://www.emusic.com/>
<http://www.getpeel.com/>
My odd-ball schedule actually works in my favor for some things. One of those are the community support activities which I enjoy - I'm a volunteer with our local neighborhood watch, and I've recently started supporting our community in a more direct role. What started out as a website focused on our Neighborhood Watch has grown to encompass the whole of our community, in the form of an expanded website and a variety of email mailing lists. Here are a few changes I made to our community website in the last few days.
* Updated the banners/badges on the Welcome page. Updated the the meeting dates for our Metro District and HOA boards. The next HOA meeting is 11 August, the next Metro District meeting is 28 August. I also updated the look of this page, changing around some of the design elements.
*
Updated some information on our Events page. Updated the info for our next HOA and Metro District board meetings.
If you are a resident of 'Tollgate Crossing' in Aurora, Colorado, you might want to check out the new website. If you're interested in our Neighborhood Watch group (Serving Tollgate Crossing, Sorrel Ranch, The Wheatlands, Beacon Point, Southshore and Tallyn’s Reach), you should check out the Neighborhood Watch section. If you're a fan of "Rob's World!" you'll want to check out the web page, just to see what can be done with Apple's iWeb software. The web page turned out very nicely, and I hope it serves our community well. If you're a resident of Tollgate Crossing, and you're concerned about the safety and security of our community, you might want to join our mailing lists to receive periodic alerts, updates and information.
<http://www.apple.com/ilife/iweb/>
<http://www.tollgatecrossing.org/Welcome.html>
Apple TV - Rants & Raves:
Recently (appx 16 July, 2009), Kim and I upgraded our home entertainment set-up. Part of that upgrade was the purchase of an Apple TV. What is an Apple TV? I'm glad you asked. The Apple TV isn't a television, it's a set-top media gateway for your home entertainment center. The Apple TV allows you to stream media from your Mac to your TV. Photos, movies, music, podcasts. It supports HD and SD video. Plug your iTunes library directly into your home stereo, with coverflow on the TV. Not only does it give you access to your computer hosted media, it also allows you to access galleries and videos hosted on MobileMe, flickr and YouTube. That's not all, it even offers up a huge selection of music and video (TV shows and music through the iTunes store) for purchase or rent. The prices are comparable to those at Amazon. With 160GB worth of storage (on the model I bought), you've got plenty of storage room for all the movies you'll be downloading, or sync over your current movie collection. Connect wirelessly or through an ethernet connection to enjoy all that media in you living room today.
<rant>Apple usually makes some pretty solid products, but I've found that when things are going to break, they break early on, and that's the case here. The Apple TV arrived in good condition, and setting it up was relatively easy. It started working right away, but I began to notice some problems that I couldn't put my finger on. I was having problems with video in my new set-up. Sometimes I couldn't get the TV to display the required video. I had a hard time narrowing it down in that first, hectic week of set-up. Frustrated and confused, I was blaming various components, cursing my luck, and spending a lot of time doing research. After taking a little bit of a break, I started some serious troubleshooting. I sat down one morning, and decided that I needed to nail this thing down. By this time, I'd narrowed it down to my Apple TV, A/V receiver, HDMI cables or television. Sometimes I could get the Apple TV video to display on the TV, and sometimes I couldn't get any picture at all.
After working through some problems with the new remote control, I eventually had to call Apple's 1-800 tech support number (1-800-275-2273). After about four hours, I'd eliminated the HDMI cables, the TV and the A/V receiver, as the source of the problem. Connecting component cables to the television confirmed my suspicions. There was a problem with the Apple TV. The Apple TV had a bad video card. Both outputs (component and HDMI) were cutting in and out for no particular reason. Wow! Bad hardware. I sure am glad it happened early in the life of the product. The total amount of time I spent troubleshooting this problem? Approximately 6 hours. That sucks!</rant>
<rave>Thankfully, the Apple TV has 90 days of free telephone support, and one year of hardware support. After calling tech support, and troubleshooting the problem, the technician made an appointment at the nearest Apple TV. I took a nap, got up around 7pm, and headed downtown to the Park Meadows Mall. At the Apple Store, I signed in, and tried to resist the temptation to buy something I didn't really need. My scheduled appointment was 8pm, and I was soon five minutes after 8pm. Not bad considering the fact that the store was packed. Lots of people buying things and getting problems solved by the staff of Apple Geniuses. Now there's a job I wouldn't want. Talk about high expectations...
Anyway, after explaining my problem, the 'Genius' hooked my Apple TV up to there static display. You could immediately tell that there was something wrong with the video coming off my Apple TV. No signal, signal, no signal, all red, all blue, all green, etc, etc. The technician didn't waste my time. In a matter of minutes, I had a new Apple TV with warranty reset. Thanks to Apple's excellent telephone support, technical support, and warranty policies, I was back up and running in short order. While it may have take several hours to figure out what the problem was, the support offered allowed me to get back on the couch in a couple of hours.</rave>
<rant>Unfortunately, the bad video card wasn't the only problem with my Apple TV. After I connected the new Apple TV, I started to experience resurgence of another problem. Something I'd noticed earlier, but really didn't have time to troubleshoot. iTunes wouldn't maintain a connection to my Apple TV. My Apple TV was connected to my LAN through my Time Capsule (DHCP setup with connection sharing off (bridge mode)). It was on the network, and it was connected to the internet. I didn't have any problems streaming content from the internet, and I could easily see that the Apple TV was connected to my computer. The problem? iTunes didn't display the Apple TV in it's device list. As a result, I couldn't maintain a sync between iTunes and my Apple TV. I couldn't add, update, or stream any content from my iTunes collection (The library is connected to my network through an attached (to the TimeCapsule via USB) hard drive). That sucks!
No matter what I did, I couldn't get iTunes to see the Apple TV. Yeah, it's connected to the network. Yeah, it's running properly (aside from this problem). Yeah it's got a good internet connection. I tried resetting my modem, my routers (wired and wireless), my Apple TV (numerous times), my computer, iTunes. Nothing seemed to help. Despite the fact that the iTunes preference pane (for Apple TV) showed my Apple TV as being connected, it didn't show up in the devices list! On a couple of occasions, a restart of the Apple TV (unplug power, wait 30 secs, reconnect) re-established the iTunes link, but that didn't work every time. I couldn't figure it out. If I restarted the computer, iTunes would lose it's link with my Apple TV.
A call to tech support helped. Given their trouble-shooting I was able to re-establish the link by 'removing' the Apple TV from the iTunes list of connected Apple TVs. Even after I reestablished the link (with Apple TV showing in the device list), I then had to re-sync all my content back over to the Apple TV, and that took several hours through the wireless connection. The next day, when I went to use my Apple TV, I noticed once again - the Apple TV is not showing up in the list of connected devices! Arrgggh. After spending several hours researching and troubleshooting the problem, I've come to my own solution. I connected the Apple TV via Ethernet instead of wireless. With the Ethernet connection, the Apple TV stays in my iTunes devices list, and media syncs to the Apple TV without any issues. Even after I reboot the Mac, disconnect the Apple TV, or restart my iTunes. The Ethernet connection seem to fix the problem.
This is obviously some sort of software problem, as the Apple TV shows up in the iTunes preferences, but it doesn't show up in the list of connected devices. Wireless connections just aren't reliable. When they drop out, iTunes and Apple TV should renegotiate the connection, update status on all affected applications, and re-establish sync. Unfortunately they don't. So, for now, I'll leave the Apple TV connected via Ethernet. As a matter of fact, I may by a new wireless switch just so I can add my Blu-Ray player to the wired connection. It's also suffering from wireless dropouts. Man these wireless connections suck! I don't know whether it's weak signal - My house isn't that big, or interference (three other networks are visible from my access point), but wireless connectivity sure is a pain. Why can't they make this stuff easier to use?</rant>
The Apple TV has been causing my plenty of headaches. It caused the most problems during my recent home entertainment upgrade. First it's a bad video card, then there's the network issues. Both these problems made for major headaches, and unnecessarily complicated the upgrade. A new Apple TV, and a hard-wired connection have solved those problems. Now that it's hooked up and properly connected to my network, I can see that this device has the possibility to become the center of our new entertainment setup. We're just exploring all the possibilities at this point.
<http://www.apple.com/appletv/>
Here's a few more updates for July. Some updates to my collection of Bruji.com applications, and another beta release for one of my software favorites. GraphicConverter moves ever forward. More beta releases for the product that's always getting better. More free upgrades for those who own a license. If you need a powerhouse converter, editor and browser for your graphics, grab a copy of GraphicConverter - You won't be disappointed.
GraphicConverter:
Thorsten Lemke (of Lemkesoft) released more more beta release this week (6.5b22). GraphicConverter is an image converter and editor. A fantastic piece of shareware that is well worth the price ($35.00). I use it to convert image formats into web standard formats, to create and edit image maps and other graphics. I've been singing GC's praises for many years now, and I'm not sure I would do without it. The best part about GC is it's author. Thorsten Lemke is completely committed to his customer base. Constantly and Continuously responding to customer recommendations and bug reports. GC is a dynamic, evolving, application. Always on the cutting edge, an absolute must in any web developers tool box. At a fraction of PhotoShop's cost, this photo editor puts a huge wrench in your toolbox.
<http://www.lemkesoft.com/xd/public/content/index._cGlkPTE5Mw_.html>
DVDPedia:
DVDPedia is a great little application for cataloging and displaying your movie collection, and I'm running version 4.5.1 It's list of features is impressive, and it keeps getting better with every update. The database is capable of generating statistics, you can keep track of multiple collections, you can easily add titles by typing the name of the movie or you can scan the barcode (using your iSight camera or a barcode reader) right off the movie box (it then searches the internet, and displays choices). It has customizable HTML export capabilities, a borrowed feature with address book integration, the ability to play movie in full screen mode, and many more features which make an awesome addition to your software library. I use it to generate HTML listings of my movies. Below are links to some of the pages I created using this software.
<https://www.robsworld.org/mymovies/index.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/iphonemoviecollection/index.html>
<http://www.bruji.com/dvdpedia/>
CDPedia:
CDPedia is a great little application for cataloging and displaying your music collection, and I'm running version 4.5.1 It's list of features is impressive, and it keeps getting better with every update. The database is capable of generating statistics, you can keep track of multiple collections, you can easily add titles by typing the name of the artist, album, or track. You can scan the barcode (using your iSight camera or a barcode reader) right off a jewel case (it then searches the internet, and displays choices), or you can import lists of music from iTunes. It has customizable HTML export capabilities, a borrowed feature with address book integration, and many more features which make an awesome addition to your software library. I use it to generate HTML listings of my music. Below are links to some of the pages I created using this software.
<https://www.robsworld.org/mymusic/index.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/iphonemusiccollection/index.html>
<http://www.bruji.com/cdpedia/>
Bookpedia:
Bookpedia is a great little application for cataloging and displaying your book collection(s), and I'm running version 4.5.1 It's list of features is impressive, and it keeps getting better with every update. The database is capable of generating statistics, you can keep track of multiple collections, you can easily add titles by typing the name of the author, book, or isbn number. You can scan the barcode (using your iSight camera or a barcode reader) right off the book cover (the application searches the internet, and displays choices). It has customizable HTML export capabilities, a borrowed feature with address book integration, and many more features which make an awesome addition to your software library.
I haven't started using Bookpedia yet (for web page production), but I'm planning to use it to update a bunch of pages featuring book collections. If it performs as well as the other applications from Bruji.com, I'm sure I'll be very satisfied with the product.
<http://www.bruji.com/bookpedia/>
With these software updates, I've updated my Software Favorites page. It's primarily dedicated to web publishing for the Mac user. Not meant for the professional, It's my hope that home users and hobbyists will find it useful. It's a listing of applications that I find useful in publishing my web pages.
<https://www.robsworld.org/myfavs.html> |
July 12, 2009
The Last Big download on eMusic:
Here's a list of some of the music I recently acquired. Where do I get all this stuff? I find a lot of free (actually free) music by visiting several of the new music web sites (Pandora, 3hive.com, musicalfamilytree.org) out there, and listening to a few different music podcasts (iTunes new music tuesdays, a friends podcast, and indiefeed). Artists want you to hear their music - If you like it, you'll buy it. The major labels want you to pay for their product - letting you hear it for free is contrary to their business model. Well, guess what? I won't buy it unless I can listen to it first. The major labels are killing themselves with their restrictive distribution and dissemination policies. If you like new music, you can do a google search to find your favorite artists web site, a new music web site, or an archive of free music. Free music is available - Legally! Don't believe the major labels propaganda - Not all free music is illegal. You can legally download music for free. I download music from websites, newsgroups (when I already own rights to the music), and a couple of commercial sources (iTunes and eMusic). Here's a listing of some of the music I legally downloaded.
eMusic monthly downloads:
Every month I download 90 tracks from eMusic.com (this is my last month of 90 downloads, so I tanked out on albums with less than 12 or fewer tracks). I bought in when the price was right - $19.99 for 90 DRM free songs a month, but time doesn't stand still, and corporations must make more money - so they can alienate and ultimately lose their customer base? Unlike some music outlets, eMusic doesn't have any DRM and they don't insert unique track id's into the ID3 tags. Their terms of service are consumer friendly; eMusic allows you to burn as many CDs as you like and copy downloads to an unlimited number of computers and portable MP3 players, including the iPod and Zune. At less than $.25 a track, that's a awesome value - Or at least it used to be. iTunes eat your heart out. Unfortunately, you can't get that sweet $19.99 deal anymore (90 tracks for $19.99), but eMusic still offers more music for your money, and the variable bit rate recordings make for exceptionally high quality recordings.
* Love, Hate and then there's You - The Von Bondies: (11 + 1 songs) Another 3hive.com discovery. Here's a raucous quartet from Detroit, with the sound of British post/punk pop. It's the sound that drew me in. A sound I appreciate, but then that's musical taste for you. What I like you may not, so as they say; "Your mileage may very". Here's a ferocious, gritty, tune with arena rock appeal.
* Hombre Lobo - Eels: (12 songs) A favorite from the 90's. Still going strong. Here's the latest release from a favorite band. The last album was four years ago, so I'm glad to see this new release. I was starting to think that the eels were all done. I'm glad they're not done yet. Alternative, experimental, progressive, a bit dark.
* Checkmate Savage - The Phantom Band: (9 songs) I'm not sure
what site, blog, newsletter turned me on, but I'm loving the leisurely pace of this Scottish quintet. Great vocals, lyrics, and some wonderful variation in the playlist. Proto-robo-rock with synthesized stylings propel this band into a ascending groove.
* Paris Is Burning [EP] - Ladyhawke: (6 songs) Six more songs from an awesome band, discovered by listening to an iTunes Indie Spotlight podcast. Here is an outstanding talent, a throw-back to late 70's early 80's. Disco-synth, Alternative-pop. Pip Brown does it all. Lyrics, vocals and instrumentals. I like it!
* Hi - Psapp: (5 songs) Psapp is a band I first discovered long ago. Back in 2006, I heard this band on 3hive.com. A band with an outstanding experimental, alternative, pop sound. Making extensive use of ambient, found, electronic and environmental sounds, Psapp produces pop-happy, snappy, subtly soothing, smooth grooves.
* Evil Tracks - 45 Grave: (4 songs) Here's a small sampling of music from one of the founders of the Goth movement. A punk band from L.A. I first listened to this band back in the 80's. They made it into the 90's, but suicide by a principle band member effectively ended their run. Dark, industrial punk which eventually came to be known as Goth or Death Rock. Band members were influential in the evolution of punk, rock and goth.
* Blood Bank - Bon Iver: (4 songs)
I discovered this artist by listening to another one of those free offerings from emusic.com. Excellent vocals, instrumentals with orchestral flourish and wonderful pacing. The EP follows last years excellent debut. Less folk, more rock, and a faster pace.
* Black Balloon EP - The Kills: (3 songs) The Kills are a favorite since '08. That's a short time to become a favorite. But it's the sound that's a favorite. Tambourines, guitar, and a simple drum kit. The folk stylings, heavy blues influence, the sad song lyrics, the timing.
* Black Forest (tra la la) - Pale Young Gentlemen: (11 songs) I first discovered this band back in 2007. A four song download from 3hive.com, and I've been waiting for eMusic to pick them up. This album marks the first major release (after a self-titled debut). Evocative, folkish, acoustic, melancholy, with excellent arrangements and pacing.
* The Day Before Wine And Roses - The Dream Syndicate: (9 songs) Featuring vocals by Steve Wynn, the Dream Syndicate is a favorite of mine from back in the 80's. Here's another California band grown up in the late 70's, with all the energy and fervor that drove punk into a new genre. Here is live performance recorded just before the first album - 'The Days of Wine and Roses'. The band rambles, improvises, and cranks out a great jammin' session of early Dream Syndicate songs.
* First Taste EP - The Sweet Serenades: (2 + 3 songs) Another 3hive.com discovery. I downloaded three songs from a few different places. Here's a Swedish band, brimming with energy, the vocals propel the instrumentals and the lyrics call for armed struggle. Picked up the last two songs (from this 5 song EP) from eMusic.
*
Seven Souls - Material: (10 songs) Blows me away! What a fantastic fusion of Rock, Jazz, Soul and Spoken Word. Lyrics composed in collaboration with Willam S. Burroughs works as the impetus for this album. My only other album by this band is 'Memory Serves', and that album was awesome as well. Time to add another.
* Something Difficult - The Prids: (4 songs) Indie, new wave, pop. Originally discovered back in Sep of 2006, it took me two years to rediscover this band. While listening to my music collection, up popped a Prids tune, and up perked my ears. I was pleasantly surprised to find music that was full of emotion. Songs blending melancholy with cutting edge instrumentals. The post punk lyrics are delivered by opposing male and female voices.
Free iTunes compilation:
Here's a rare occurrence. iTunes giving away an entire album. It wasn't the normal iTunes New Music Tuesday release, but I saw it and snapped it up immediately. You have to grab these things as soon as they show up. Yup. it's gone. No longer available.
* iTunes Independence Sampler 2009 - Multiple artists: (20 songs) To celebrate our Independence Day, iTunes gave away a twenty song sampler full of some awesome music. Alternative, punk, new wave, pop. Independent bands for Independence day. I'm sure I'll pick up a couple of new albums based on this sampler.
These are some of the items I added to my music collection during the last month. Since revamping my music collection back in September of 2005, I've been slowly adding, revising and updating the collection. If you have a comment, question or correction regarding my music collection, please don't hesitate to send me an email. Please keep in mind that my collection isn't for sale, and I'm not interested in giving you any copyrighted materials. I'd rather not go to jail for music piracy. :-)
<https://www.robsworld.org/music.html>
<http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/>
<http://www.emusic.com/>
<http://www.3hive.com/>
Here's a bunch of updates. Some updates to my collection of Bruji.com applications, another update to Apple's Safari web browser, a bunch of beta releases for one of my software favorites. GraphicConverter moves ever forward. More beta releases for the product that's always getting better. More free upgrades for those who own a license. If you need a powerhouse converter, editor and browser for your graphics, grab a copy of GraphicConverter - You won't be disappointed.
GraphicConverter:
Thorsten Lemke (of Lemkesoft) released three more beta versions (6.5b6, 6.5b11, 6.5b12) in the last few days. GraphicConverter is an image converter and editor. A fantastic piece of shareware that is well worth the price ($35.00). I use it to convert image formats into web standard formats, to create and edit image maps and other graphics. I've been singing GC's praises for many years now, and I'm not sure I would do without it. The best part about GC is it's author. Thorsten Lemke is completely committed to his customer base. Constantly and Continuously responding to customer recommendations and bug reports. GC is a dynamic, evolving, application. Always on the cutting edge, an absolute must in any web developers tool box. At a fraction of PhotoShop's cost, this photo editor puts a huge wrench in your toolbox.
<http://www.lemkesoft.com/xd/public/content/index._cGlkPTE5Mw_.html>
Safari:
Apple's default web browser for OS X (also available for Windows!), is way ahead of the pack. Apple's browser contains a plethora of incredibly powerful features (over 150 features), and this release moves the browser forward for everyone. I wonder why Microsoft stopped developing IE for Mac? I'm currently running version 4.0.2 (5530.19). This update brings some security updates as well as some improvements to the 'Nitro' Java engine.
Battle of the browsers. Internet Explorer vs FireFox. Those are your choices right? Wrong! Think different! Think Mac! Choose Safari, the new kid on the block. A fast (The fastest available for Mac) but full featured browser, which performs like a pro. The full release version is a powerful workhorse - Featuring tabbed browsing, URL snap-back, a powerful but elegant bookmark implementation (with built-in import capability), Google search integration, built-in pop-up blocker, multiple standards (HTML 4.01 and some HTML 5, XML, XPath, XSLT, XHTML, DOM, CSS, RSS, ECMA Script, Proxy Support, SSL, TLS, JavaScript, Java, plus QuickTime, Flash and Shockwave plug-ins), and a host of other features. The beta boast a bevy of new features that will certainly enhance future versions of the browser. New features: Top sites - A visual representation of your top visited sites. Cover Flow - A fantastic new way to visualize your bookmarks. Tabs on Top - Not so hot. Nitro Engine - Makes Safari the fastest in the pack. That's just a small taste of all the new features. Check out the website for more info. Safari is just one more reason to Switch! It's won a place as my default browser, give it a chance and it'll soon be yours.
By the way, Safari is fully compliant (it was the first Browser to meet that bench mark) with the advanced Acid 3.0 test. So, if you're concerned about standards and compliance, you've nothing to worry about. Develop your web site using the Safari webkit and you won't have to worry about rendering problems or sticky browser compatibility issues.
<http://www.apple.com/safari/>
<http://www.webstandards.org/action/acid3>
DVDPedia:
DVDPedia is a great little application for cataloging and displaying your movie collection, and I'm running version 4.5. It's list of features is impressive, and it keeps getting better with every update. The database is capable of generating statistics, you can keep track of multiple collections, you can easily add titles by typing the name of the movie or you can scan the barcode (using your iSight camera or a barcode reader) right off the movie box (it then searches the internet, and displays choices). It has customizable HTML export capabilities, a borrowed feature with address book integration, the ability to play movie in full screen mode, and many more features which make an awesome addition to your software library. I use it to generate HTML listings of my movies. Below are links to some of the pages I created using this software.
<https://www.robsworld.org/mymovies/index.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/iphonemoviecollection/index.html>
<http://www.bruji.com/dvdpedia/>
CDPedia:
CDPedia is a great little application for cataloging and displaying your music collection, and I'm running version 4.5. It's list of features is impressive, and it keeps getting better with every update. The database is capable of generating statistics, you can keep track of multiple collections, you can easily add titles by typing the name of the artist, album, or track. You can scan the barcode (using your iSight camera or a barcode reader) right off a jewel case (it then searches the internet, and displays choices), or you can import lists of music from iTunes. It has customizable HTML export capabilities, a borrowed feature with address book integration, and many more features which make an awesome addition to your software library. I use it to generate HTML listings of my music. Below are links to some of the pages I created using this software.
<https://www.robsworld.org/mymusic/index.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/iphonemusiccollection/index.html>
<http://www.bruji.com/cdpedia/>
Bookpedia:
Bookpedia is a great little application for cataloging and displaying your book collection(s), and I'm running version 4.5. It's list of features is impressive, and it keeps getting better with every update. The database is capable of generating statistics, you can keep track of multiple collections, you can easily add titles by typing the name of the author, book, or isbn number. You can scan the barcode (using your iSight camera or a barcode reader) right off the book cover (the application searches the internet, and displays choices). It has customizable HTML export capabilities, a borrowed feature with address book integration, and many more features which make an awesome addition to your software library.
I haven't started using Bookpedia yet (for web page production), but I'm planning to use it to update a bunch of pages featuring book collections. If it performs as well as the other applications from Bruji.com, I'm sure I'll be very satisfied with the product.
<http://www.bruji.com/bookpedia/>
With these software updates, I've updated my Software Favorites page. It's primarily dedicated to web publishing for the Mac user. Not meant for the professional, It's my hope that home users and hobbyists will find it useful. It's a listing of applications that I find useful in publishing my web pages.
<https://www.robsworld.org/myfavs.html>
My odd-ball schedule actually works in my favor for some things. One of those are the community support activities which I enjoy - I'm a volunteer with our local neighborhood watch, and I've recently started supporting our community in a more direct role. What started out as a website focused on our Neighborhood Watch has grown to encompass the whole of our community, in the form of an expanded website and a variety of email mailing lists. Here are a few changes I made to our community website in the last few days.
- Updated the banners/badges on the Welcome page. Removed the banner for Aurora's 4th of July celebration. Our fair city still has enough money to afford an extravagant fireworks display?
- Updated some information on our Events page. Removed the event information for Aurora's 4th of July celebration. Unfortunately, I had to work.
If you are a resident of 'Tollgate Crossing' in Aurora, Colorado, you might want to check out the new website. If you're interested in our Neighborhood Watch group (Serving Tollgate Crossing, Sorrel Ranch, The Wheatlands, Beacon Point, Southshore and Tallyn’s Reach), you should check out the Neighborhood Watch section. If you're a fan of "Rob's World!" you'll want to check out the web page, just to see what can be done with Apple's iWeb software. The web page turned out very nicely, and I hope it serves our community well. If you're a resident of Tollgate Crossing, and you're concerned about the safety and security of our community, you might want to join our mailing lists to receive periodic alerts, updates and information.
<http://www.apple.com/ilife/iweb/>
<http://www.tollgatecrossing.org/Welcome.html>
Home Entertainment Upgrade:
Approximately two years ago (2007), Kim and I started planning for some upgrades. We budgeted $10,000.00 for a computer/computing update and a home entertainment upgrade. We completed the computer upgrade earlier this month, and now we're in the process of upgrading our home entertainment set-up. We were looking to replace our aging, and seemingly out of date set-up (A picture tube, standard definition tv) for a new fandangled set up. What's in this new upgrade? Well, here's the complete list:
| Components |
Details/Notes |
Expense |
| Television |
Sony Bravia V-Series KDL-52V51200 52" HDTV - It's a flat screen LCD with HD (1920x1080p) wide screen (16:9) format and a 120Hz 'MotionFlow' refresh rate, 24p TrueCinema for great colors and a 50,000:1 contrast ratio, 4 HDMI inputs and the ability to play back music or pictures from a USB device. With the TV installed and operating, I'm very happy with the contrast ratio. With the old picture tube tv, I had to close the drapes in our living room and partially close the drapes in our dining room in order to see the tv while eating dinner. This 50,000:1 ratio is amazing. I can watch tv in full daylight, and I don't need to close all the drapes. Oh, yeah, I haven't noticed any glare problems either. |
$1,827.98 |
| Receiver |
Onkyo TX-SR507 - A/V receiver with versatile connectivity and compatibility with the latest technology. Four HDMI 1.3a inputs, lossless Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD audio, two audio out channels (one is 5.1 surround, the other stereo). The stereo is working fine, but I'm not entirely happy with it's speed in switching components. It's hard to tell, but I get the feeling that the receiver is the culprit in slowing things down. The sound is great, but the setup experience is/was a bit painful. I like the fact that it's got a zone-2 audio output, and I'm planning to put that to use in the future. |
$292.40 |
| Video player |
Samsung BD-P3600 blue-ray player - Comes with Wi-Fi USB dongle for wireless connectivity, or connect via ethernet. Streams Netflix and Pandora. Superfast loading and operations, onboard Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD audio. 1GB onboard memory. Upconverts DVD video to 1080p. I originally had this connected via ethernet, but AppleTV problems forced me to use the USB WiFi adapter/antenna. That plugin unit (that came with the player) works like a charm. This player is certainly getting a work out. The Netflix and Pandora features are awesome, I'm very happy with this device. The only problem is speed. It seems to be very slow in connecting to or initiating any network operations. Who doesn't want faster? |
$349.00 |
| HD Radio |
Sony XDR-F1HD. An HD radio tuner. What? You don't know what HD radio is? It's digital radio. Both AM and FM stations are now being broadcast using a new digital mode. The sound is static free and crystal clear. The stations deliver audio and data streams (track and title as well as other programming info). Best of all, no monthly fees for HD radio. After setting this up, I was amazed by the variety and versatility of HD radio. Who would have imagined the possibilities of multiple channel radio stations? I've currently got something like 12 stations programmed, and they all come in crystal clear. |
$84.69 |
| AppleTV |
A set-top media gateway for your home entertainment center. The AppleTV allows you to stream media from your Mac to your TV. Photos, movies, music, podcasts. It supports HD and SD video. Plug your iTunes library directly into your home stereo, with coverflow on the TV. Not only does it give you access to your computer hosted media, it also allows you to access galleries and videos hosted on MobileMe, flickr and YouTube. That's not all, it even offers up a huge selection of music and video (TV shows and music through the iTunes store) for purchase or rent. The prices are comparable to those at Amazon. With 160GB worth of storage (on the model I bought), you've got plenty of storage room for all the movies you'll be downloading. Connect wirelessly or through an ethernet connection to enjoy all that media in you living room today. The Apple TV was the biggest headache in this upgrade. A bad video card and network issues made for major headaches. Connect via ethernet to avoid many problems. Now that it's hooked up and properly connected to my network, I can see that this device has the possibility to become the center of our new entertainment setup. We're just exploring all the possibilities at this point. |
$326.79 |
| Media Stand |
Something to stack all that stuff on. I measured five, six, seven times. So it better fit! I eventually ordered a Plateau CRX-2V (54") three shelf media stand. Should be just right to fit beneath the TV, and still fit in the media nook. Three shelves become two when you set the tv on the top one. Still, two shelves should hold all this stuff. Putting this thing together was very easy, and I feel confident that it's going to serve us for many years to come. |
$349.99 |
| Cables |
To connect it all. I've got plenty of coax, composite, RCA connector component cables. I've even got a couple of digital audio cables. What I didn't have was HDMI cables. Checking BestBuy and the other big box stores reveals prices in the range of $60.00 - $90.00 - Ouch! That's a lot of money for some copper wrapped in an insulating mesh. Why so much? I can't figure it out. So, to Amazon we go. Guess what? Prices below $1.00 aren't unheard of. I paid $0.22 a piece! With shipping and handling, I purchased three HDMI cables (with gold plated connectors) for $9.60 - Take That BestBuy! Yes, copper wire is cheap when the manufacturers produce huge spools of the stuff. How did they manage a $0.22 price? I have no idea. If one of these cables fails, I can always buy another. Yes, I checked the seller rep/ratings before I made my purchase. Despite the nay-sayers, these cables have so far proven to work properly. None of my configuration/connectivity problems can be attributed to these cables. |
$9.60 |
| Universal Remote |
One remote to rule them all... Controlling all eight devices in my current entertainment setup is a chore for a heavy hitter. The old radio shack remote just couldn't cut it (only controls six devices), and the receivers remote (see above) didn't have the codes for all these devices, so I ended up getting a new remote. This sweet little magic wand gives me control over all these components (and more). It's got a USB cable for updates and configuration through software on my Mac. It's got an infrared input port for direct device code transfer, and it's even got a nice lcd display for detailed readouts. This beast was a bit much to program, and I needed some telephone support - That worked great. The level of control possible in this remote is astonishing. With a normal sticker price of ~$130.00, I opted for the 'refurbished' option. Considerably cheaper, and works great. |
$50.97 |
| Service Contract |
That new television (see above), is a bit expensive, and I don't want any problems. So I purchased an 'extended warranty' from a second party. I did some research before I bought the service contract, and this company (DTVExpress.com) appears to be legit. They've been in business for twelve years, and the BBB lists them as an A- company. Their five year extended warranty cost less than the four year extended warranty offered by Sony. I hope I never need to use the warranty. |
$189.00 |
| |
Total (w/taxes & shipping and handling) |
$3480.42 |
As I write this (16 July), all the components have arrived, and I've survived the upgrade process. There's quite a story in this upgrade. You can read about some of the trials and tribulations here, while others are reserved for those unfortunate souls I work with. The upgrade moves our entertainment set-up into the digital age. With Netflix on the Blu-Ray player, I've moved the Roku player into the bedroom. This gives us a much better viewing experience in the bedroom. Currently, we're watching analog channels using Comcast's cable (in the bedroom), but that won't last forever - I'm sure they're planning to phase out all the analog channels (at some point). Other components in the entertainment center include a VCR, the Cable box, and a PlayStation. That's a lot of equipment, and combined with our recent computer upgrade, it puts us a little over our $10k budget ($10,171.00).
Boom, boom, thunderstorms for Colorado
The last couple of months have been very active in the weather department. July is normally our second wettest month, but this year it seems to be wetter than usual. We have thunderstorms nearly every other night. The storms are usually quick, sudden, blasts of dropping temps and heavy rains. This year, the weather has been a bit more extreme. So much rain in fact, that the ground is very close to the saturation point, and flash floods are becoming more common. The month of June has certainly turned out to be far more exciting than normal. The 4th - 6th of July saw some great thunderstorms, featuring a magnificent display of lightning in our corner of Colorado. Have you seen similar extreme weather in your area?
Universal Remotes suck!
<rant>Most universal remotes (see below) suck. They're an attempt to solve a major problem using a 'One size fits all' approach. The problems are many. Not enough physical buttons to address all the needs of your particular device. No codes for the device you want to control. An unwieldy programming procedure - Hold button 'A' until it blinks, then enter a code, do it before it times out. Oh crap - I hit the wrong number! Keep your eye on the remote - how many times did it blink? You have to look at the remote as you type in the numbers, but you have to keep the remote aimed at the device - Don't tilt the remote while it's blinking! Some remotes make you hold two keys down at the same time. If the batteries die (or you change them) you have to program the damn thing all over again! The program set loaded on the remotes puny software doesn't include instructions for any of the advanced functions.
With multiple codes for some devices, you have to try multiple different codes before you find one that works. What about new devices? Most of these 'Universal Remotes' are hard coded, so new devices are a total no go. I went through two 'Universal Remotes' before I found one that did everything I wanted. Does your 'Universal Remote' suck! Most of mine do.</rant>
Netflix news for owners of a Sony Bravia TV:
Good news for those of you who own a Sony Bravia. Netflix recently announced that Sony will soon (this fall) be adding Netflix streaming to their line of Bravia TVs. The streaming capability will be added to Bravia TVs that are 'Internet Video-Capable'. Older models compatible with the Internet video link module will also be able to stream Netflix videos. Great news for some (Netflix customers who subscribe to any of the 'unlimited' plans (minimum cost is $8.99/month)), unfortunately for me, my Bravia doesn't have built in internet video access, and I'm definitely 'not' going to buy a video link module. It's way too expensive ($200.00). Hey - I've already got Netflix streaming through my Blu-Ray player.
<http://netflix.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=317>
My new Universal Remote Rocks!
<rave>I recently purchased a new 'Universal Remote', and I have to report that I'm extremely happy with the results. The Logitech Harmony 550 is somewhat above the cut when it comes to your typical 'Universal Remote'. This remote is a bit more expensive, but it's well worth it (I beat the high price (~$130.00) buy purchasing a refurbished remote ($39.99)). The remote resolves many of the problems inherent with other universal remotes. First of all the programming process is handled by software on your computer. You don't have to press the buttons on the remote while simultaneously pointing the device at the appropriate component.
After connecting the remote to your computer with a supplied USB cable, software on your computer (Mac or PC/Windows) walks you through the programming using a sophisticated wizard. It took me some time to get used to the program particulars, but the level of control is amazing.
Connecting online allows you to access a device database containing more than 100,000 devices. The database is updated daily, and it'll always contain more device codes than any hard coded remote. The codes are stored on your computer, so you can update, upload (to the remote), back-up, and modify the remotes programming very easily. If the wizard isn't allowing you to do what you want you can manually manipulate nearly every aspect of the programming. Finally, even if the device (or a specific code) isn't in the database, you can use the remotes IR learning mode to transfer codes from the original remote.
Once it's programmed, you control a series of devices by selecting an 'activity'. One press of a button and you can power up multiple components (up to twelve devices), change inputs, select specific configurations and start a movie. After you've selected your 'Watch Netflix' activity you can start watching a movie with one more click. Once you've got the activity up and running you can switch to another device by selecting the device from an LCD menu. The built in 'help' function resolves most problems using interactive menu prompts. The device has plenty of hard coded buttons, but it isn't overly crowded or too heavy.
The 90 day telephone support is very helpful, and I was glad to have it. This remote is awesome!</rave>
<http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/remotes/universal_remotes/devices/376&cl=US,EN>
D&D updates:
We played a D&D session on the 27th of June and here are some of the updates from that meeting. The party finally made it to Whillip! With their adventures in the shadow of Firestorm Peak concluded, the party is back in Whillip. The adventure was arduous, dangerous and rewarding. Most of all it was memorable. An adventure unlike any other. A journey into the very bowels of evil; to defeat a corrupt source of taint in this land. With the conclusion of this quest, none may say that they died in vain. With this long quest behind them, it's time to recover their bearings, rest for a bit, hone their skills, and steel themselves to take on the next threat in these lands. Welcome back to Whillip brave heroes, welcome home!
The Adventurers journal:
The tale of our adventurers. A series of journal entries from various party members. This document contains details of their encounters. Victory, defeat, desire and glory. Here is the tale of the S.C.R.E.W.O.F.F.S., a group of adventurers who set forth from Whillip, seeking fame, fortune and the defeat of evil in these lands. The meeting on the 27th consisted primarily of characters taking care of some administrative chores, buying equipment, arranging for training, and doing a little investigating. The journal entry from Dynnera recaps most of the activity.
<https://www.robsworld.org/ajournal08.html#jun27_2009>
3rd Edition Campaign:
I updated the date of our next meeting - Our next meeting is 8 August, 2009. Due to some scheduling conflicts, we're going to miss the meeting at the end of July, so we won't be back at the table until August. This is the first stop for information on the campaign that I'm currently running. Here you'll find information regarding our next meeting, some notes, and an index of web pages and documents that are important to our campaign.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ecampaign.html>
Character update:
Recently, Kevin provided a few illustrations for his character, so I was able to update the illustration of Gregor on our "Who's Who?" page. In addition to the updated image of Gregor, I also added a blurb regarding Gregor's hirelings, and a link to another illustration. Thanks Kevin, these illustrations are great. The "Who's Who?" page is a listing of characters, both player characters and non-player characters.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ewhoswho.html>
These updates follow our meeting on the 27th of June and there will certainly be more to come. That meeting aw the party back in Whillip's after completing a rather arduous adventure. Now that they're in town, the party will probably spend a considerable amount of (in game) time licking it's wounds, resting, recuperating and training for their next adventure. In the meantime, you can keep up to date by continuing to visit "Rob's World!" for all the latest campaign info. If you're enjoying the story of our adventurers, I encourage you to write me and let us know. Perhaps you've got an idea you'd like to share, some criticism or praise. Either way, it'll be earnestly appreciated.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ecampaign.html> |
