What's New

June 26, 2009

Software favorites:
Another batch 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). 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>

With this software update, 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>

Just a couple more tracks for June:
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 out there. 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. Here's a listing of some of the music I legally downloaded.

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.
* In The Meantime - Joe Pug: (5 songs) A five song EP released by Joe Pug. This release includes previously unreleased tracks from the Nation of Heat sessions. Great pickin', a great voice and some serious lyrics. Thanks for the free music Joe.

These are just some of the items I added to my music collection during the month of June. Since returning from Japan in 2001, I've been rediscovering my appreciation for music. I really picked it up again in September of 2005. Since then, I've been slowly adding, revising and updating my music collection. With these acquisitions, I've updated my online music listing. If you have a comment or a question regarding my music collection, please don't hesitate to send me an email.
<https://www.robsworld.org/mymusic/index.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/music.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're 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 a list:

Television: Sony Bravia V-Series KDL-52V51200 52" HDTV - It's a flatscreen LCD with HD (1920x1080p) widescreen (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.
Reciever: Onkyo TX-SR507 - A/V receiver with versatile connectivity and compatability with the latest technology. Four HDMI 1.3a input, lossless Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD audio, two audio out channels (one is 5.1 sorround, the other stereo).
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.
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 programing info). Best of all, no monthly fees for HD radio.
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.
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.
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.

Four of these items have arrived as I write this (26 Jun 2009), with more to come. The upgrade moves our entertainment set-up into the digital age. With Netflix on the Blu-Ray player, I can move the Roku player into the bedroom. This will give us a much better viewing experience in the bedroom. Currently, we're watching analog on 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). The only thing I didn't purchase/pay for, is an Airport Extreme - to extend the WiFi, and give me iTunes playback to the stereo in the basement. Watch the "What's New?" page for more updates in the Home Entertainment Upgrade.

D&D updates:
We played a D&D session on the 13th of Jun 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 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. With the loot divided, and taxes paid, the party headed into the city proper. Taking their respit at the 'Meat Tea or Inn', Solmar announced that he and Belt were leaving the S.C.R.E.W.O.F.F.S. to form a new adventuring group - With this stunning development, Zeddishous and Grenco quickly vowed to keep the S.C.R.E.W.O.F.F.S. viable; inviting various members to fill the vacancies created during the course of the last adventure. With a rift formed, a new party forming, and clear lines being drawn, many of our adventurers are presented with an uncertain future. Should they join this new group, or pledge their allegiance to the S.C.R.E.W.O.F.F.S. by backing Zeddishous and Grenco?

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 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. This time I managed to get the updates out a bit earlier than normal... Nearly a week before the meeting! The meeting on the 13th was a in town session. The party is in Whillip, and they're trying to get things done before the next adventure. This entry features input from Solmar and Dynnera.
<https://www.robsworld.org/ajournal08.html#jun13_2009>

Dynnera's Side Quest:
Dynnera goes on a side quest - Here is a journal entry which details Dynnera's 'Encounter' with the Thieves Guild of Whillip At times, their comes a need to conduct some gaming/run some scenarios outside the venue of the group meeting. Here is one such instance. A 'side adventure' where Dynnera comes to a critical juncture in her quest to purge feelings of guilt and anger in regards to slavery. In game terms, this side quest is being used to facilitate a character 'rebuild/retrain'; purging the character of all rogue/thief skills and levels, and replacing them with skills and levels from the character's primary class (Wizard). For players in our campaign: Please keep in mind that this side quest constitutes 'player knowledge' until/if Dynnera (in character) divulges the information.
<https://www.robsworld.org/ajournal08.html#jun23_2009>

Character update:
During the meetings on the 16th and 30th of May, we saw plenty of changes in our campaign's character line-up. With the parties arrival in Whillip, Grenco, Zedd and Ysoac are no longer considered 'Player Characters'. As a result, I had to make numerous changes to the "Who's Who?" page. Continuing with those changes, here are additional updates to many characters. I updated some formating in Gregor's description. I added some additional background to the Skifander entry (Thank you Sean) and corrected some format errors in his write-up. After Dynnera's side quest, I made some additional updates to her character description. Thanks to some input from Mark, I was able to add additional background to Solmar's entry. I alphabetically sorted many of the character tables (there's still more sorting to do). I created an entry for Scroggis the female, Goblin, sex slave. I added entries for Arach-Nid (member of the thieves guild) and Roche Setaphone (a slaver and member of the thieves guild). Finally, I corrected some errors in the Inn employees table. The "Who's Who?" page is a listing of characters, both player characters and non-player characters.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ewhoswho.html>

Where Now?:
The party has returned to Whillip, and they haven't traveled to any new places of late. Despite that, I expect that their stay in Whillip will result in the addition of several new places to the "Where Now?" page. After out last meeting, I added one entry: The City Park of Whillip is a large, heavily wooded, grove with abundant flora and fauna. A large clocktower and outdoor atrium mark the entrance to this public park. Seemingly bigger on the inside than one would expect, many suspect some sort of enchantment by the Druids which frequent this grove. The park contains many trails, benches, picnic tables, occasional statuary and water fountains. The park seems at ease under extreme weather, and many animals make this park their home. "Where Now?" is a listing of various places the party has visited or researched.
<https://www.robsworld.org/wherenow.html>

These updates follow our meeting on the 13th of June and there will certainly be more to come. Our meeting on the 13th of June saw the party back in Whillip preparing to level-up and prepare for their next adventure. At first I thought there wouldn't be much 'adventure' in town; but Dynnera smashed that assumption. Read all about her side-quest for an exciting example of an in-town 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>

Thunder and Lightning - Oh My!
The last few days have been quite wet for our area of Colorado. A very wet month indeed. We had thunderstorms on three of the past four days (23 - 26 June). The storms are usually quick, sudden, blasts of dropping temps and heavy rains. In this case, the weather has been a bit more extreme. So much rain in fact, that our ground is saturated, and flash floods are becoming more common. On the 23rd, it rained most of the day. At times the rain was quite heavy. Thunderstorms on the 25th and 26th produced large amounts of rain with spectacular lightning effects. We even had another tornado develop on the 26th (in central Aurora). Thankfully there weren't any reports of damage or injury. The month of June has certainly turned out to be far more exciting than normal.

TollgateCrossing goes off-line:
On the 23rd of June, my computer was off-line (for part of the day), so I didn't notice when Tollgate crossing went off-line. My service provider/system administrator took the machine off-line inadvertantly. As part of a planned server upgrade, he mistakenly had my machine taken off-line. I noticed the outage on the 24th, and sent him an email. Thankfully, he was able to get the site back up and running that day. Looking at the log files, it looks like the web site might have been off-line for approximately 5 hours. Thankfully it was a short outage (late at night/early morning) and didn't create much of a problem for visitors. As I mentioned earlier, the outage was related to a server upgrade for the machines hosting my domains. Over this break (26 - 29 June), I'll have to move over the TollgateCrossing domain, as that machine is going off-line at the end of the month. Hopefully the transition to this new machine will allow me to improve some of the email services I'm currently extending to residents of TollgateCrossing (at no charge).
<http://www.tollgatecrossing.org/Welcome.html>

June 18, 2009

Jammin' in June:
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 out there. 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. Here's a listing of some of the music I legally downloaded.

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.
* Down to the Wire - Son Volt: (single) A single released in advance of their new album (American Central Dust), Son Volt is a favorite band that I've been listening to since 2005. Here's another release with mournful lyrics, a country flavor, americana beat and an acoustic touch. Thank you 3hive.com.
* Stranded at the Drive-In - Stranded at the Drive-In: (11 songs) Late 90's Indiana. This band has ties to many bands that I enjoy (Antenna, Gentleman Caller, Kenny Childers, Panic Attack, and others) Here's a great alternative, rock, punk band with excellent instrumental composition. I'm surprised they didn't last longer. Thank you Musical Family Tree.

Netflix news for Vista users:
Good news for those of you who use Vista on PC. Rather than waiting for Netflix to make it happen, MicroSoft has recently (May 20th) released an official Netflix Media Center Streaming Application (I'm sure they must have had some support from Netflix). This new application requires Windows Vista Home Premium or Ultimate, and it supports the Windows Media Center remote control. So now (with a Netflix unlimited account) you can use the Media Center to browse the Watch Instantly selection, search for titles, add movies to your queue, and watch any of the 12,000+ titles in the Watch Instantly library. Unfortunately, this new capability is not supported by the Windows Media Center extender - That means you won't be able to stream the video to your TV. Yeah, that kind of sucks. So, you can use the Windows Media Center on your computer, or you could simply watch the movies through a browser (with Silverlight support). Not much difference there. Good news? You can still buy a Roku player for $99.00.
<http://www.hackingnetflix.com/2009/05/microsoft-launches-official-netflix-media-center-streaming-application.html>

The New Computer and Computer Headquarters:
With my recent computer upgrade (19 May 2009), I've been busy updating many of the webpages that feature my computer and office. With the upgrade, I took the time to update the 'My Computer' page. I updated the photo, updated all the computer component listings, and refreshed many parts of the page. In addition to the 'My Computer' update, I also created a new page. A page which features my office; otherwise known as the Computer Headquarters. My computer headquarters is a pretty nice set-up. It's way better than the previous office, and I decided to give it a page of its own. On the new page you'll find an image map, some photos of the office (past and present), and links to various other pages.
<https://www.robsworld.org/mycomputer.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/computerheadquarters.html>

iPhone 3.0 Software update:
The long awaited update has finally dropped. iPhone owners have been waiting for this update for quite some time. Arguably, since the iPhone was initially released. With more than 100 new features and a slew of security updates, here's the update that moves the iPhone into the category of 'Will anyone ever be able to top the iPhone?' If you'd like a full review of all the new features, check out the article over at Macworld.com. Some of the more notable features:

Cut, copy and paste - Finally!
Universal search on the iPhone
A2DP bluetooth support bring stereo support for wireless devices
Find my iPhone and remote wipe (with MobileMe subscription)
Push notification is finally delivered
A built in voice recorder
Calendar improvements (including subscriptions)
Note syncing between desktop and iPhone

That's not all, there are plenty more features, and you can find them all at the Apple website. While the iPhone 2.0 focused on expanding the iPhone's reach; and the Apps store has made it a truly killer platform for developers. This release polishes the internals. Adding many missing features and tweaking many of the existing apps. What 3.0 does is deliver on the astronomical promise of this revolutionary new platform. Far more than a cell-phone, the iPhone truly is a portable computing platform. Games, communications, music, movies, GPS and an application store unlike any other. If you've already got an iPhone, you'll want this update - Get it Now! If you haven't got your iPhone yet... What are you waiting for?
<http://www.pcworld.com/article/166845/hands_on_with_apples_iphone_30_software_update.html>
<http://www.apple.com/iphone/softwareupdate/>
<http://www.apple.com/support/manuals/iphone>
<http://www.apple.com/kb/HT3639>

Software favorites:
Two updates this time. An update and news for Apple's Safari web browser, 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 three more beta versions (6.4.3b8). 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? This newest version is no longer a beta. It didn't take long, and Apple has recently released the full release 4.0 and a minor update Version 4.0.1 (5530.18).

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>

Zicam 'banned' by the FDA:
One of my favorite products has recently been 'banned' by the FDA. The FDA sent a 'warning' letter to the manufacturer of this product. The products addressed in this letter are the Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel, Zicam Cold Remedy Gel Swabs, and Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs, Kids Size. These products are designed to shorten the duration and intensity of the common cold. According to the FDA, the makers of Zicam don't have any 'proof' that the products do what they say they do, and the FDA has received more than 130 reports of people losing their ability to smell after using the product. While questions about the product, its safety, and the reported health claims persist, it is clear that the makers are not complying with FDA guidelines regarding the sales and marketing of their product. I've used the product for many years and never experienced any loss of senses (the sense of smell). At the same time, I'm not willing to take such a risk, and I'm planning to discontinue my use of the intranasal products (for now). Instead, I'll try the lozenges. Since I've endorsed (raved about) this product in the past, I thought you might want to know about this development. Given the FDA's decision to notification/warning letter, I would recommend that you stop using this product, until all the facts are in.
<http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/ucm166909.htm>
<http://www.zicam.com/messagetoconsumers>

June 14, 2009

Updates to the Tollgate Crossing Website:
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 at our community website in the last few days.

Updated the banners/badges on the Welcome page. Updated the banners regarding our next HOA meeting. See the Events page for more details. I also removed the banner for our Neighborhood Watch garage sale. Our next Metro District meeting is 23 June. Next HOA meeting is July 14th.
Updated some information on our Events page. Updated the events posting for our upcoming meetings. Updated the HOA and Metro District meeting dates. I also removed the neighborhood watch garage sale entry and added an entry for the upcoming neighborhood watch meetings.
On the Info page, I updated the Metro District contact info. At the request of our metro district management company, I removed all but one contact.
A website visitor noticed an error on the Alert Me page, and thanks to his report, I was able to update a link to the Aurora government website.
Recently, our Neighborhood Watch Head Area Coordinator provided me with information regarding the upcoming Neighborhood Watch meetings. With this information, I was able to update our Neighborhood Watch webpage. The next Neighborhood Watch meeting is September 3rd, 2009.

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>

Thunderstorms, lighting, rain and hail - oh my!
The second week of June; for that matter, the entire month of June has so far been extremely wet. We've had lots of rain, thunderstorms, hail, and even a few tornados. It's been an uncharacteristically stormy month. We're getting a lot more precipitation than I can remember - for the month of June. Checking some online sources (Why is it so difficult to find a decent weather website for my town?) statistical data shows the North and Eastern portions of Colorado with more than 100% normal precipitation for the month. The South and Western portions of the state are below normal. It's been extremely wet so far. The fields around our house are all green, and the streams seem to always have water in them. It's quite a change from the drought stricken years.

D&D updates:
We played a D&D session on the 30th of May 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 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. This time the entries came a bit late. The meeting on the 30th was a 're-play' session. Due to problems with the meeting on the 16th, we decided to 're-play' that session. On the 30th we replayed some of the actions from the 16th, and managed to get a bit further. This entry is a combined posting (16 and 30 June, 2009) with input from Solmar, Dynnera and Belt.
<https://www.robsworld.org/ajournal08.html#may30_2009>

3rd Edition Campaign:
I updated the date of our next meeting - Our next meeting is 27 June, 2009. I also updated some annotations beneath our group photo. Eventually, I hope to update the group photo on this page. 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:
During the meetings on the 16th and 30th of May, we saw plenty of changes in our campaigns character line-up. With the parties arrival in Whillip, Grenco, Zedd and Ysoac are no longer considered 'Player Characters'. As a result, I had to make numerous changes to the "Who's Who?" page. While the changes for Zedd and Grenco were minimal (I made some changes in preparation to this update), the changes for Ysoac were extensive, requiring many link changes. In addition to these individual changes, I also did a bit of reorganizing. I reorganized the listings. It was getting a bit large and unmanageable, so I added an alphabetical index and put all the entries in alphabetical order. In addition to the alphabetical index, I added a new category to the listing. There is now a separate category for adventuring groups, organizations and associations. Finally, in a major change (which took place during our June 13th meeting), our group of adventurers disbanded! That's right. The S.C.R.E.W.O.F.F.S. are no more! (stay tuned for more details). In its place rises a new adventuring group known as H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights (Holy Adventuring Licensed League Of Whillip). With the introduction of this new adventuring group, I made many changes to the journal and "Who's Who?" page. As we move forward, you'll likely see many more related changes. The "Who's Who?" page is a listing of characters, both player characters and non-player characters.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ewhoswho.html>

Players in our campaign:
As usual, we've had more changes to the characters and players in our campaign. Recently (over the last three meetings), our adventurers arrived in Whillip. When that happened, I put several characters under my control. Ysoac, Zeddishous and Grenco technically became NPCs a while back, but I let the players run them until now. These characters (and others) are no longer run by players. Given theses changes, I had to update the image map and change the annotations beneath our players photo. Currently, that photo is out of date, but I plan to take a new one as soon as we can get everyone together. A group of crazy characters constitute the players in our campaign. Many players have graced my gaming table over the years, some are old friends, some are new, but in the end - friends are what I call them. The players page contains a photo of our group and a short listing of who we are.
<https://www.robsworld.org/players.html>

Kragus the Barbarian:
Kragus was a character who used to adventure with the player's group. Long ago he left the party. Recently, I updated his character page. The update was done as part of changes to the 'Clean Up Crew' entry on our "Who's Who?" page. This update
<https://www.robsworld.org/kragus.html>

Ysoac the Druid:
Ysoac was a player character until Dino left our campaign. Now that he's fully NPC (Players are no longer running him), I've created a solo page for the character. In another change, he's decided to join the S.C.R.E.W.O.F.F.S., which is now an NPC organization.
<https://www.robsworld.org/ysoac.html>

Grenco the Scout:
Grenco was a player character until he died three times, and Todd created a replacement (then Grenco was reincarnated - Again!). Now that he's fully NPC (Players are no longer running him), I've updated his solo page. As part of the recent character changes, Grenco will be remaining in the S.C.R.E.W.O.F.F.S., which is now an NPC organization.
<https://www.robsworld.org/grenco.html>

Eilownwy the Ranger:
Eilownwy was a player character until Jason left our campaign. Long ago she left the party. Recently, I updated her character page. The update was done as part of changes to the 'Clean Up Crew' entry on our "Who's Who?" page. This update
<https://www.robsworld.org/eilownwy.html>

Zeddishous the Ranger:
Zeddishous was a player character until Micheal left our campaign. Zedd was run by various players until the adventurers made it back to Whillip. Now that the party is back in Whillip, Zedd has become a full NPC, and the players will no longer run the character. Zedd will be remaining in the S.C.R.E.W.O.F.F.S., which is now an NPC organization.
<https://www.robsworld.org/zeddishous.html>

Where Now?:
The party has returned to Whillip, and they haven't traveled to any new places of late. Despite that, I've had to update one particular entry on the "Where Now?" page. While the party has owned an Inn/headquarters of their own for approximately a year, the ownership of the 'Meat Tea or Inn' has come under some contention lately. The adventuring group known as the S.C.R.E.W.O.F.F.S. has become an NPC group, and our adventurers are reforming a new group under the name "H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights" (Holy Adventuring Licensed League Of Whillip). With this change, the S.C.R.E.W.O.F.F.S. are considering the transfer of the inn. They would like to turn over the inn to the H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights (Holy Adventuring Licensed League Of Whillip), but there's a slight obstacle. That obstacle? Dynnera - She's still a member of the S.C.R.E.W.O.F.F.S. but she's also considering membership in the H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights. That's making things very difficult for the S.C.R.E.W.O.F.F.S. In anticipation of this property transfer, I've updated the "Where Now?" page to show it as property of the H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights.
<https://www.robsworld.org/wherenow.html>

These updates follow our meeting on the 30th of May and there will certainly be more to come. Our meeting on the 30th of May saw the party docked in Whillip's harbor. 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>

Software favorites:
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 three more beta versions (6.4.3b5). 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>

June 09, 2009

Twister touches down in Aurora:
A rather unusual occurrence for our area. With the mountains close by, the Denver/Aurora area doesn't see too many tornados. Tornado Alley pretty much starts on the Eastern Plains of Colorado - just east of here. This particular tornado came as much of a surprise. We (citizens in the area) didn't get any warning. That's right no warning. The Aurora office of disaster preparedness/emergency response didn't send out any alerts (via telephone or email), and the sirens weren't audible in many neighborhoods. Especially those neighborhoods east of E-470. Southeastern Aurora is home to many residents, the residential area has been growing rapidly in the last few years, and the large sprawl of new homes are particularly vulnerable to tornados, due to the fact that the warning sirens aren't audible this far east.

On the 7th of June, 2009, five tornados touched down in Colorado. One of those tornados touched down less than a mile from my house. The tornado (with a debris field of more than half a mile wide) caused mild to moderate damage to the Southlands Mall (5 miles south of Buckley AFB) and many of the homes and apartments in the area. The mall took the brunt of the damage, with roof, window and structural damage to many of the buildings in the central area of the mall. Thankfully there were no reported injuries. The path of damage was appx 10 miles long, and the tornado generated winds of up to 100mph (rated EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale). The hail accompanying this tornado caused plenty of damage to the plants in my neighborhood; pretty much ruining more than $100.00 worth of flowers we bought the week before. The other tornadoes were reported near Byers, Lafayette, Bennett and Deer Trail.
<http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/19683459/detail.html>

Netflix ships damaged disc straight back to me:
<rant>I love Netflix, but sometimes they get my goat. Here's an episode you can learn to avoid. Recently (see June 3rd rant), Netflix shipped me a disc with an off-center disc label. It caused problems (see below), and I marked it as unplayable/damaged. I shipped the disc back to Netflix and they immediately* shipped me a replacement disc. So, guess what? Three days later, I received a replacement disc. The exact same disc I had just sent them (So much for immediately. *They obviously waited until they received my disc, before shipping the disc, and the disc still caused problems in my player. The lesson I learned from this incident? Don't return the damaged disc until you have notification that the replacement has shipped. That way you can't receive the same disc as a replacement. What should have happened? They should have immediately shipped a replacement (as indicated in their terms of service), and they should have removed the damaged disc from distribution. I called and complained about the way they handled the whole thing. They assured me that it shouldn't have happened the way it did, and they would report it to the technicians.</rant>

D&D updates:
We played a D&D session on the 16th of May 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 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. This time the entries came a bit late. The meeting on the 16th was a bit of a mess. Some of the actions conducted by proxy players (players running someone else's character) were contested, as they were a bit out of character. We declared it a 'do-over' and replayed much of the action later in the month. Here we have a combined entry with input from Solmar and Dynnera.
<https://www.robsworld.org/ajournal08.html#may16_2009>

The Journal index:
Here is the index for all journal entries. Each time the party starts a new adventure, I start a new journal page - Notice the journal08 page name in the link above - This is the 8th adventure of our group. As the new adventure begins, a new journal page is created, and a link is posted on this index page. If you'd like to read about some of party's previous adventures, this is the page you'll want to visit.
<https://www.robsworld.org/ajournal.html>

3rd Edition Campaign:
I updated the date of our next meeting - Our next meeting is 30 May, 2009. I also updated some annotation beneath our group photo. Eventually, I hope to update the group photo on this page. 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>

These updates follow our meeting on the 16th of May and there will certainly be more to come. Our meeting on the 16th of May saw the party docked in Whillip's harbor. 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>

MacUpdate Promo - What a bargain!
There are two sites worth visiting if you own a Mac. MacUpdate and VersionTracker. They're software update sites. Keep an eye on one or both, and you'll know when your copy of 'Circus Ponies NoteBook' is ready for an update. Not only can you find all the latest software releases, you can engage in conversations with developers and other Mac users. Both sites are essential resources for owners of any Apple computer (or iPhone). <rave>One of the best things about the MacUpdate site? Their promotional offers. Teaming with the software development community, MacUpdate offers a continual stream of discount Shareware. The prices are amazing - Most discounts run 30 - 50%, and they often offer bundles. A large number of titles for a huge discount. On the 8th of June, I took advantage of such an offer. Here are the titles from the bundle I purchased:

**MacUpdate Promo Bundle**
Application	Version	Normal $
TechTool Pro	5.0.4	$99.95
Parallels Desktop	4.0.3844	$79.95
NetBarrier X5	10.5.3	$49.95
DVDRemaster Pro	5.1.3	$49.99
Paperless	1.0	$44.95
Multiplex	1.0.3	$35.00
MoneyWell	1.4.8	$49.99
RipIt	1.2.11	$18.99
Posterino	1.5.1	$24.95
BetterZip	1.8.1	$19.95
Circus Ponies NoteBook	3.0v355	$49.95
Voila	2.0.1	$39.95
RAGE MapDesign	1.2.2	$19.95
	Total retail	$588.52
Huge savings through MacUpdate (91% discount!)	Bundle cost	$49.99

The bundle contained a few pieces of software that I really wanted, and the rest align with some future plans. If I had bought all this software one piece at a time, it would have cost me more than $500.00. With the MacUpdate promo bundle, I saved 91% over the standard retail price. That's a HUGE saving, and MacUpdate has deals this hot quite frequently. If you're looking to buy a software title (for your Mac), don't forget to check MacUpdate for a discount, and always look for (google search) a discount code.</rave>
<http://www.versiontracker.com/>
<http://www.macupdate.com/>
<http://www.mupromo.com/>

I fought the Network, and the Network won!
<rant>The most difficult chore I have ever undertaken. I consider myself tech savvy, but this task was clearly beyond my capability. I attempted to reconfigure my network (on the 8th of June, 2009), and that attempt left me wounded, bleeding and humiliated after a long and protracted battle. Let me tell you a little story about a man named Rob. My recent computer purchase included a TimeCapsule. The TimeCapsule is a piece of hardware sold by Apple. It's a dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi router, with three 1GB ethernet ports, a USB port, and a network attached 500gb backup drive. It's a fantastic piece of hardware and I'm glad I bought it. On with the story. Before the reconfiguration my network was set up as follows:

Internet connectivity - provided by Comcast cable
Motorola SURFboard modem - 100MBps throughput
Dynex 5 port ethernet router - 100MBps throughput - Three outputs: One to my Roku player, one to my TimeCapsule, the third to the bedroom (not connected to a device)
TimeCapsule router - 1GBps throughput - Three outputs: One to my computer (ethernet), one to my printer (ethernet), and one hard drive (USB)

With this configuration, everything was working properly. Not only were all my attached devices getting internet and intranet connectivity, I also had the Wi-Fi up and running with my TimeCapsule. The iPhone and MacBook Pro were connected to the intranet and internet. The modem and Dynex routers are only running at 100MBps, but I wasn't noticing any problems. Was that good enough for me? Hell No!, I had to muck with things.

I though I could remove the Dynex router; putting the TimeCapsule in its place, and reducing the complexity a bit. Here's the set up I was trying to achieve:

Internet connectivity - provided by Comcast cable
Motorola SURFboard modem - 100MBps throughput
TimeCapsule router - 1GBps throughput - Four outputs: One to my computer (ethernet), one to my Roku player, one to the bedroom, and one to the hard drive (USB)
- The printer will either be run through Wi-Fi or attached to my computer.

Sounds easy enough. I figured it would be just as easy as the original set up. Boy was I in for a surprise. To make a long story short. I was up from 0330 - 2330 trying to get the network reconfigured. No matter what I did, I couldn't get this dog to heel. I'd get the Wi-Fi up and running, but I'd have no internet. I'd get internet connectivity, but only on the computer. None of the other devices would be connected. In the 20+ hours of running up and down the stairs (router, modem and hard drive in the basement), I must have rebooted every device I own a dozen times. I spent an hour on the phone with Comcast (listening to myself talk), and nearly ended up buying a new modem and wired router. In the end, I was battered, bleeding (cut myself on a protruding screw), exhausted, and pissed off! With the network still not working, I turned in for the night. In the morning (9th of June, 2009), I put everything back the way it was (see first configuration above) and surrendered to the network. It works with the ethernet router in place, but I can't get it to work without it. Hey, if you know any Network Configuration Specialists, please send them my way. Apparently it takes a PhD to properly configure a home network. </rant>

GraphicConverter:
Thorsten Lemke (of Lemkesoft) released three more beta versions (6.4.3b5). 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>

June 03, 2009

Software favorites:
With the purchase of a new computer, I've added a few new software applications to my collection. Well, they're not really 'new', but they are some significant updates. Here are a few of the latest acquisitions for my web development efforts. I just wish I knew how to fully leverage these powerful tools. Despite my lack of expertise with these tools, I find that they are extremely useful in my web work.

iWork '09 :
I'm running versions 4.0.2 (751), 5.0.2 (776) and 2.0.2 (322) respectively.

iWork is Apple's productivity suite. Previous versions of iWork contained two applications, a bit anemic for a productivity suite. It was missing a crucial component. No spreadsheet application? In 2007, things changed. They added a spreadsheet application. Numbers is the newest addition to the productivity suite. With the addition of this new component. iWork became a feasible replacement for the venerable (and still useful) AppleWorks - which hasn't seen an update since 2004. iWork is also a home contender for Microsoft Office. Most home users don't need the power provided by Microsoft's productivity suite. iWork applications are Office compatible (No it's not 100% compatible, but it can open, edit and save as Office documents), and the pricing is far more affordable than the behemoth on the block. So, the addition of numbers, the fantastic price ($79.00 for three full feature productivity apps), the great reviews (that I've read), the compatibility (Office and AppleWorks) and the outstanding support that Apple provides, have enticed me to switch from AppleWorks to iWork. All of the iWork components contain web based output options, which is crucial for anyone creating web pages, or managing a web site.

iWork consists of three productivity applications and an online component:

Pages - A word processor and page layout application. The latest version (iWork '09) includes some great new features. A full screen mode to help you stay focused. A new dynamic outline mode allows you to 'drag-and-drop' to rearrange and restructure points and subpoints. Pages now features a mail-merge function capable of pulling address data from Numbers or the Mac OS address book. Getting more advanced, Pages now includes 'EndNote' for bibliography support and the 'MathType' equation editor. Finally, as with all other iWork applications, this one includes iWork.com capability.

Keynote - Apple's outstanding presentation software. Adding some razzle-dazzle to the application, the '09 update offers numerous updates to make Keynote an industry standard presentation suite. Magic Move makes sophisticated animation a snap. An enhanced theme selection wizard makes this experience much more friendly and powerful. Powerful text and object transitions make your presentations move with a purpose. In charts you'll see new 3D textures and chart animations to help make your point. Finally, as with all other iWork applications, this one includes iWork.com capability.

Numbers - Here is Apple's entry into the spreadsheet ring. Apple has taken a simplified approach to a complicated subject. Making spreadsheets even easier. Apple has improved the formula functions to include a more natural language, included explanations, and expanded the number of available formulas. With formula list view, you can view and edit all your formulas from a single interface. Wow no more hunting and searching for all those formulas! The table categories function allows you to organize, group, view and sort your data in ways you've never though possible. Numbers '09 adds many new charts and ways to represent data - linking data from all three applications. Like Keynote, now Numbers has a template chooser with 30 templates to chose from, your spreadsheets can have a pre-defined appearance. Something more sophisticated than simple columns and rows. Finally, as with all other iWork applications, this one includes iWork.com capability.

iWork.com - A new offering in the iWork suite of applications. Here is a free service (it's still in beta, and there are no indications as to pricing/the future of this service) that Apple has integrated into each of the suites applications. It's a web based file sharing, collaboration and display service. You can upload documents to the iWork.com server, and others can view, annotate, or download documents (as defined per document). Sounds great. I'll have to try it out with some friends.

Apple released a new version of these applications in 2009, and I've finally had the opportunity to try out the new applications. I purchased a family license when I purchased my new MacPro (purchased May of 2009). The Family pack only cost me $63.00! Wow, that's less than a single user license. Apple's way of saying thanks for buying a new computer.

Dreamweaver CS4 :
I'm currently using Version 10 build 4117

Dreamweaver CS4. Learning HTML, and creating rich and appealing web sites, can be a difficult endeavor.In May of 2009, I updated my venerable (5 year old) copy of Dreamweaver MX 2004 to Adobe's (Macromedia was bought out by Adobe many years ago) latest version of Dreamweaver. While I found Dreamweaver MX 2004 to be a great tool, the verdict on DW-CS4 is still out. I really haven't used it that long. I really like the ability to view and work in a WYSIWYG interface, while simultaneously having the code view available for any tweaking or hands-on coding. With my new 30" monitor, I can even display both views in a vertical orientation. I've been using Dreamweaver for some time now, and really appreciate some of it's more powerful features. It's a world class champ when it comes to editing HTML tables. With a tool box full of things I've yet to use, I'm sure I'll be learning more about HTML in the future, thanks to Dreamweaver CS4. (FYI: My upgrade was partly necessitated by my computer upgrade - Dreamweaver MX 2004 will not run on my Intel based MacPro machine.)
<http://www.adobe.com/products/dreamweaver/>

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 New Computer:
Purchased in May of 2009, Kim and I planned and saved for nearly two years. With a budget of appx $10,000.00 we planned a computer and entertainment center upgrade for May and June of 2009. I'm not in the military anymore. My 20+ years of experience, training, and skills are finally starting to 'pay'. With my new career (as a civilian), I can finally afford some of the nicer toys offered to consumers these days. The last computer was purchased in May of 2004, it lasted a long time, and it did it's job well. With the purchase of our new computer, the old work-horse will make it's way back to Wisconsin. We're planning to hand it down to the in-laws. Here are some of the details regarding the new computer purchase.

Hardware
- Machine type: Mac Pro (Early 2009)
  - CPU Type: 64 bit 8-core: Two 2.26GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon 5500 series (Nehalem) processors
  - Number of cores: With Hyper-Threading technology the computer has 16 virtual cores
  - CPU speed: 2.26GHz. 8MB fully shared L3 cache per processor
- Memory: 1066MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM - Eight memory slots (four per processor) installed with 3 sticks of 2GB DIMMs per processor for a total of 12GB
- Hard drives: Western Digital 640GB Serial ATA (boot drive), Western Digital 640GB Serial ATA (clone drive), Seagate 1.5TB (time machine drive), Western Digital MyBook 500Gb USB (external drive)
- Media drive: 18x SuperDrive w/double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW). Reads DVDs up to 18x speed. Writes CD-R and CD-RW discs up to 32x speed. Reads CDs up to 32x speed
- Expansion slots: Three open full-length PCI Express expansion slots (not compatible with PCI or PCI-X expansion cards). One PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot. Two PCI Express 2.0 x4 slots
- Internet connection: 1Mbps/6Mbps always-on cable (Motorola SB5100 SURFboard cable modem) internet connection (Comcast) w/DHCP IP assignment
  - Wired Network: Powered by a Dynex DX-E402 4-Port Ethernet Broadband Router. Currently used to connect my Roku player to the TV and power my wireless network (I may need to upgrade to a different router in the future. This one won't do port forwarding without a fixed IP address)
  - Wireless Network: Powered by Apple's Time Capsule; a dual-band wi-fi base station (Apple's Airport Extreme router) with 802.11a/b/g/n wireless, an Ethernet WAN port, three Ethernet LAN ports, and one USB port. There is also a 500GB hard drive inside the casing

For more of the details, see my Computer page. Yup, I've got a page dedicated to my computer. On it you'll find all the exciting details regarding my computer. Hooray! You know you're going to love it. ..well, I know I will. :-). With this new computer purchase, I updated the following documents: mycomputer.html, myfavs.html, computer.png,
<https://www.robsworld.org/mycomputer.html>

June's Music Download:
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. I bought in when the price was right - $19.99 for 90 DRM free songs a month. 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. 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.
* Telekinesis - Telekinesis: (11 songs) Added to my eMusic queue after listening to an iTunes Indie Spotlight (Rock & Alternative) podcast. A relatively new band, here is their debut album. Featuring soaring pop ballads, love songs, great guitar work and catchy lyrics. A fantastic debut. I'll add more of their stuff.
* Art Brut vs Satan - Art Brut: (11 songs) Favorites since 2006, here is my least favorite release from this band. What happened? The lyrics and instrumentals are beginning to sound stale. There isn't much new in this album. Still good, but nowhere near the level of their debut.
* Beast Box - Luxuria: (13 songs) Here is Howard Devoto (from Magazine and Buzzcocks) in another guise. I can't get enough of his work. Here he teams up with Noko (Bassist for the Cure) to produce a one album effort. A bit dark, but nothing unusual for Devoto. This art heavy curiosity is only of interest to fans of Devoto as it lacks any Rock inspired impetus.
* Fuzzy Warbles Volume 1. - Andy Partridge: (19 songs) Wow! While exploring eMusic links, I came across an entirely unexpected set of albums by one of my all time favorite bands - XTC. Due to some legal entanglements, these albums (eight in all) were released under Andy Partridge's name (XTC founding member, guitarist, chief songwriter). The albums contain out-takes, rehearsals, demos, acoustic versions and previously unreleased material. Seven more albums to go!
* Signals, Calls and Marches (remastered) - Mission of Burma: (10 songs) A band just on the edge of my listening in the 80s. I'm surprised I missed these guys. The sound is right there, and they were often recommended (back then), I just never got around to discovering them until now - some 20+ years later. Clear punk anthems, decisive instrumentals and a great indie rock band that I'll be adding to my queue in the future. Finally discovered by following some eMusic links.
* The Midnight Organ Fight - Frightened Rabbit: (14 songs) This band hails from Glasgow Scotland, and I first discovered their sound through an eMusic newsletter. The trio cranks out some serious, dark, and contemplative alternative tunes.
* XOXOXOXOXO - Project Jenny, Project Jan: ( 12+2 songs) I first discovered this band back in 2007 (via 3hive.com). Wow! Here's their full-length debut. These boys (two guys from Brooklyn) lay down some excellent tracks on this album. It's hip-hop, electronic, rap/spoken-word, latin, jazz, rock. My third download from this group.

iTunes purchases:
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.
* Sprittle - Deastro: (2 songs) A new favorite band. These tracks come courtesy of iTunes customer service. Deastro remains light, pop, rock. Great electronic tracks with smooth vocals and a bit of reverb. Here are some of their best tracks ever.
* See You Soon EP - Michael Tolcher: (3 songs) An acoustic only EP. Here's a talent I lost track of. I first discovered Michael Tolcher back in '05, but he's unavailable on eMusic, so I haven't downloaded anything else until now. An indie roots rocker with a touch of blues. The acoustic accompaniment goes great with his vocals.

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.
* Vermillion Plaza - Deastro: (single) A cut from the upcoming album (released as part of a two track single) - Moondagger. Thankfully, that album is available on eMusic. I've added it to my queue. If this single is any indication, that new album will be awesome. This band is sounding more and more like Echo & the Bunnymen, and for me, that's a good thing. Excellent electro-pop with great instrumental work. Downloaded from the Pictchfork website.
* Sunny Side of the Street - Josh Woodward: (15 songs) Here's another album from a new favorite. Josh Woodward makes some excellent music. It's less polished than the big bands, but the ethic is great. Indie music with heart and feeling. Here are some eclectic, eccentric and humorous tracks. Acoustic, folk, pop. Excellent.
* Here Today - Josh Woodward: (13 songs) Yet another album from Josh Woodward. His first full length album release. I really like this artists acoustic, folk sound.
* Crawford Street - Josh Woodward: (14 songs) Another great album from an independent minded artist. This album is a bit darker than some of his other work. Like the previous albums, for that matter all his albums. You can download all of it for free if you visit his web site. As a matter of fact, he encourages such behavior!

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.pandora.com/>
<http://www.3hive.com/>
<http://www.musicalfamilytree.org/>

eMusic Make me Angry:
<rant>Every month I download 90 tracks from eMusic.com - Until July 28, 2009. That's when eMusic is retiring my plan. I started with emusic when the price was right - $19.99 for 90 DRM free songs a month. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end. Fueling the ever burning demand for more profits, eMusic as a corporation is forced to raise prices - Thanks Apple/iTunes. The new prices will result in me losing 40 tracks a month - For the same Price! It's the equivalent of a an 80% price increase (appx). At $20.00 for 90 tracks, I was paying appx $0.22 a track. With the new pricing, I'll be paying appx $0.40 a track! It's a huge price increase. That sucks! Horrible. I was using eMusic to discover new music, but this change threatens that plan. I may have to look for something else.

Apple and the music industry have managed to raise the price of digital music to new heights. Have you seen the price of new releases? New releases on iTunes run $1.98. Yup, two bucks for a single digital download - Screw that! That's way too much. You know what? It might be time to start searching for a new way to download music. If that means that the artists don't get their cut, then that's the fault of who? Who raised the price beyond the "I'd buy that for a dollar!" level? Not me. I'm not the one making it so expensive that pirating and illegal downloads are once again attractive. I want to buy music, but I want a fair deal. Doubling the prices isn't going to get you any more money. As a matter of fact, it may well result in you losing money, as many jump ship. You really blew it eMusic. You know what? Your lame excuse that you had to raise prices in order to add 'new music' - like Alicia Keys, Bruce Springsteen, Dixie Chicks, Michael Jackson, Pearl Jam and others - Sucks! I'd rather go without. I like the independent artists available on eMusic. I don't come here for the big names, and frankly I'd rather you didn't add these bands if it means an 80% price increase. You suck!

eMusic used to have a considerable edge. They used to be one of the few outlets without DRM - Not anymore. They used to be the outlet with absolute lowest prices - are they still? That's the question. I won't be slapped around like a 'consumer' - I'm a customer, and as far as that goes, I can still exercise my right to vote with my dollar. I'm looking eMusic. Your days are numbered. If I find someone with lower prices. I'm outta here. As a matter of fact. I'll no longer be endorsing you to my friends. It was fun while it lasted, and you used to be great. Now, well, now you're just like your competitors. You've sold out to corporate profit.

Anybody know a digital music outlet that beats the eMusic price? Come August, I'll be looking to switch services. $0.40 a track shouldn't be that hard to beat.</rant>

Netflix use of DVD disc labels cause problems:
<rant>I'm a Netflix customer, and I'm happy with their service. Unfortunately, for a few years now, they've been applying some disc labels to some of the DVDs they ship. I imagine that there are various reasons for applying these stickers, but I for one would like to see them stop. Why? Well, it's causing problems for my DVD player. At first I didn't associate the problem with these stickers, but a little research and experience have show that the real cause of these problems is the disc label.

What am I talking about? I'm talking about a knocking noise produced by my Panasonic DVD S25 DVD/CD player. The DVD player produces a loud knocking noise whenever a DVD with an off-center disc label is inserted into the player. The volume of the knocking noise seems directly related to how far off-center the label is. A properly affixed label causes no problems, and the disc plays fine. A label that is too far off-center will not only produce a loud knocking noise, it may not play. As I mentioned earlier, I initially didn't know what was causing these problems (not every disc with a label caused problems). Now however, it has become clear (through experience and some research (love that google/the internet)) - It's an unbalanced DVD that causes the problem. These disc labels occasionally cause the DVD to be unbalanced.

This off-center label causes the disc to warble in the drive, which makes it difficult for the laser to read the disc. In many cases (in my experience), this makes the disc unplayable. Sometimes the disc works fine towards the beginning of the movie, but it becomes unplayable towards the end. In some instances, the knocking noise is so loud that it drowns out the audio. In many instances, I simply stop the movie, remove the disc and hope I haven't caused any permanent damage. Seriously, that knocking noise can't be a good thing. In addition to unbalancing the disc, I can think of a couple more reason why you might not want to apply a disc label to a DVD.

I reported the disc as unplayable (it wouldn't play in my DVD player) and requested a new copy. I even called and talked to a technician/customer support representative. 'Off-center disc label' wasn't an option on the 'report a problem' on-line form. I recommend that Netflix use a laser etching device in order to mark the DVDs - for whatever reason.</rant>
<http://www.hackingnetflix.com/2007/08/property-of-net.html>
<http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?t=54303>
<http://dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html#1.44>

Netflix Customer Service is awesome:
<rave>Recently (3 June 2009), I had reason to call Netflix customer service. That's right, they have a 1-800 number for customer service. The wait was less than a minute, and the person on the other end of the phone was friendly and professional. They transferred me (without dropping the call!) to a technician, and I was able to speak with a knowledgeable, courteous professional who answered all my questions and recorded my concern for action on a technical issue. The experience - Netflix customer service - was great. Thank you Netflix.</rave>