Carbon Copy Cloner is Awesome: <rave>As consumers accumulate more and more electronic ones and zeros, they sometimes encounter the dreaded hard drive crash. Losing your entire collection of digital photos, MP3s, or computer games can be a costly and traumatic event. Despite the fact that hard drives can - and do - fail, many consumers choose to go 'commando' without any sort of back-up. It's a dangerous game. One I'm not willing to take. One of the components in my back-up strategy is Carbon Copy Cloner.
I use a program called 'Carbon Copy Cloner' (for the Mac) in order to create a bootable clone of my start up drive. CCC performs nearly flawlessly (as it has for many years). Creating back ups with just a couple clicks of the mouse. CCC has an automated back up capability, but I create the clones manually. I don't run my machine in an admin mode at all times. I only switch to the admin user when I have a specific need (To help reduce the chance of any corruption or infection on my system). I create a bootable back-up (A Clone) on a separate hard drive. In the same computer, but on a different device. CCC allows me to backs up everything from my boot drive, blesses the back-up, and does the whole job in less than an hour.
After a recent backup (two weeks after my Snow Leopard update), I switched off my normal start up drive and tested the clone. After the reboot, my machine was up and running on the cloned copy. The software and clone drive both performed perfectly. Carbon Copy Clone is there to save the day. Now let's hope I never need to use that clone. I've been so impressed with its performance (over the years), that I decided to make a donation - Thank you Mike Bombic, you're awesome, and I like your software too :-) </rave>
<rant>I'm such an idiot! So, the Clone performed so flawlessly, that I forgot that I was working on the Clone. I logged off for the night, but forgot to configure the computer to boot up on the primary drive. When I logged back in, I was still running on the Clone. I completely forgot to switch back to the primary drive. It was only after a day of computing that I started to notice a few peculiarities. While attempting to install some software, I realized that I was working on the Clone - Crap! That means I've written a bunch of data, files and info to the clone, but it's not on the primary drive... I changed the preference for the startup disk and rebooted my machine. After a bit of clean-up work, I managed to recover all but a few files from the clone. I think I can live without a few email messages. I immediately created another new clone, and everything is back on track. While CCC performed flawlessly, I mucked things up. What a dolt.</rant> <http://www.bombich.com/software/ccc.html>
Comcast is Faster - Again! <rave>Once again, Comcast has increased the speed of my internet connection. This time the speed bump was a double dose of fast. They increased my connection speeds as follows:
Old speed
New speed
Download
6 MBps
Download
12 MBps
Upload
1 MBps
Upload
2 MBps
Not only did they increase my download and upload speeds, they doubled them! At no extra charge, they doubled up on my connection speeds. In addition to this announcement, they also announced (during 2nd week of June, 2006) the addition of a feature call 'PowerBoost' which boosts performance (under my plan (and faster plans)) of download speeds. Thanks to this new feature, download speeds can jump from 12Mb/s to 15Mb/s (and 3Mb/s upload) during periods of sparse activity. Now that's fast! After I learned about the speed bump, I logged on and did a few tests (There are plenty of places online where you can test out your internet connect speeds, and I recommend that you test your speed on several different sites, in order to get a good idea of what your 'real-world' speeds really are):
While the numbers aren't consistent from site to site, you can clearly see that the speeds are as high, or higher, than the speed that Comcast is now providing (with my plan). Faster is better, and these speeds are approximately 10 times faster than any DSL connection. Add in the fact that Comcast has promised to 'Never Raise my Internet Price', (It's still $42.95 / month) and you can see why I think Comcast is Comcastic!</rave>
<rant>O.k. Comcast isn't all roses and sunshine. They have got some serious problems when it comes to customer service. They've got a serious p.r. problem. I found out about the speed increase from a co-worker. Comcast didn't notify me directly, despite the fact that they've got my email address, phone number, etc. I hadn't heard about this increase through the normal channels. I wanted some more info. So I turned to the Comcast website(s). You would think that Comcast would be posting some info online. A press release regarding this latest speed bump. Sorry, nope. No general info released regarding the update - No front page news, no big announcement. That's when I started looking at my plan. I logged in, and checked my plan. Nowhere could I find any info about the plan I was on. All I could find was a single line entry on my latest bill. "HSI Bundled Svc 09/01 - 09/30 $42.95" That's not much information, I did some more searching (online), but couldn't find any information regarding the 'HSI Bundled Svc' - What constitutes Comcast's High Speed Internet service?
Unable to find the info I was looking for, I tried to contact Comcast. My first efforts were online/live chat. That didn't work too well. My first attempt hung - the Chat service never initiated, and I never got any error messages. Eventually (after 15 minutes), I terminated that session and tried another. That one didn't work out either. After waiting (I was number 44 in the queue) approximately 15 minutes, I connected with a customer service rep, but I ended up getting disconnected - I have no idea why. The chat has worked in the past, today (the 19th of Sep, 2009) I didn't have any luck with the live chat. Hesitantly, I picked up the phone. After navigating through the phone menu maze, I connected to the billing department. I talked with them for a while, but they couldn't answer my questions, so they 'transferred' me to a technician. That went poorly, I ended up getting disconnected, and I had to call back. After talking with the technician, I was able to learn that the 'official' rates for my plan - The 'Performance' tier - 12Mb/s download and 2Mb/s upload. When I asked where I could 'see' that information, the technician referred me back to the billing department. I didn't bother with a phone transfer - I'd probably get disconnected anyway - I called the billing department again. I spent another hour talking with the billing department. We concluded that there was no way that I could 'see' what my plan consisted of. It's not evident on my bill (the billing rep claims it 'should' be on there), and it's not available online, under my online profile (after logging into the Comcast.com or .net websites).
Eventually, we managed to find the information I was looking for. We had to sign up for service, and enter a bogus address. When you enter your own address, it says 'you already have Comcast high speed internet'. After faking out the form, we confirmed the info that the technician had. That's the only way I was able to find a listing of the tiered services offered by Comcast. Several days later (28 Sep '09), I found a web page that listed the actual plans. All in all, the customer service experience was extremely frustrating. The billing department wasn't able to provide me with the information I wanted, and they weren't able to tell me where I could find the information. Comcast needs some serious help in the customer service area.</rant>
Snow in September?
I knew it was bound to happen. Sooner or later, we were bound to see the snow fly. What we didn't expect was snow in September! We saw really low temps, rain and snow over the last few days. A cold streak hit our state on the 21st, and it lasted through the 23rd. On the 21st it rained most of the day, around 0930 the temps fell into the freezing range and the rain switched over to snow, and flakes flew for about an hour. The snow didn't stick around, it melted as it hit the ground, but seeing snowflakes flying in September was quite a shocker. We saw rain and snow through part of the day on the 21st. On the 22nd it rained much of the day, and the 23rd saw rain from sun up to sun down. Temps at night dipped to just above freezing. During the day it barely rose to the mid 50s. Cold, rainy, crappy - Is it winter already? I hope we're not skipping autumn all together.
Complaints from a Coldwar Warrior - Again: <rant>I've written (even ranted) about this subject before, but recent events necessitate a revisit to the subject. On the 21st of September, I finally received a document that I originally requested back in April of 2007. It took me more than two years to finally receive it. Yet another example of government efficiency. Back in April of '07, I attempted to send a fax (Cold War certificate application form w/supporting documentation) to the fax number listed on two different pages at the Army's Human Resources Command website. Unfortunately, there must have been something wrong with that number/fax machine. The phone doesn't pick up for fax transmission, and when I dialed in for voice, no one answered the phone (I tried three times during a weekday, and again on a different day later in the week). More than two years later, that number is still listed. I haven't called it lately, but I wouldn't be surprised if it still doesn't work). Additionally, I attempted to call the voice contact number for the Cold War Recognition team, but no one answered the phone (0700AM MDT, so that's 0900AM in VA). I would have left a message, but the mail box was full.
At this point, I started to wonder; "Does this department: Cold War Recognition Program, still exist? If so, why is the department unreachable by phone or fax?" I ended up forwarding my certificate request, and supporting documentation via email (an option they didn't allow for - apparently that would inconvenience them in their mission to "sustain the well-being of Commanders, Soldiers, veterans and their families." I resent the email in May of '07, because no one had replied to my request/email sent in April of '07. In response to my second attempt, I got an automated reply indicating that one of the email addresses (the one posted on their web page) was no longer valid - Apparently, that email hadn't been valid since November of 2006! Great. A day later, I got an email from the Awards branch. They apologized; "We do apologize for the troubles that you have had in reaching the Cold War Recognition Program office and will look into this problem. We have provided your application to the Cold War Recognition Program office and it will be processed as soon as possible." On the 3rd of May, I got an email from the Cold War Recognition Program office. They stated; "Thank you, for sending in your email request. You paper work is being processed."
By November (of 2007), I still hadn't heard anything. No communications, no certificate, nearly six months had passed. I wrote back; "I've been trying to get a copy of my Coldwar certificate since May of 2007. It's now November - nearly six months later. How long should this take? Do I need to start the process all over again?" Still no response... In February of 2008, I tried again. I sent another email asking for an update, some sort of status, some type of reply. In March of 2008, I made a phone call to their voice contact phone number. No one answered the phone, but at least their mailbox isn't full. I called because I had seen a recent announcement, which reminded me of my Cold War Certificate - Or rather, my lack of a certificate. According to the Army's website. "Any other site offering these certificates or replicas for sale or purchase are not official sites and are not approved or endorsed by the US Army." I certainly wish I could get my officially awarded certificate from some other agency. Preferably one that cares about veterans. It seems like every time I have to deal with the military (now that I'm retired), that treat me like crap. They don't give a damn about veterans or veteran's affairs. After experiencing this 'unusual' lack of concern, I'm no longer surprised. I know it's true. I heard it from veterans in the past, but never thought it a real phenomenon. Well, it is. I've experienced it first hand. When I was in the military, the bureaucracy seemed to function rather efficiently. Everyone doing their duty to the best of their ability. Now I realize why. It wasn't pride in service, or dedication which drove the minions to mediocre excellence. It was the threat of retribution, official censure, or military discipline. When the customer is no longer in the military, there is no reason to 'do your best'. After all, they're not in your chain of command. The result is an active disdain for veterans, their needs, concerns and care. Of course, I admit that this isn't the case for all military members. I work with the military, and I admit that they don't treat me personally with disdain or disrespect. On the other hand, any time I represent myself as a veteran over the phone (or via email), I get the "Whatever, we'll deal with you when we get around to it" attitude.
A few days later, I noticed that the US Army was attempting to apologize (make excuses for) for the delay in processing Cold War certificates. Posted at their website was this disclaimer. "Due to the remarkable success of this program, turn-around time for mailing certificates will be a minimum of 2 months. The CWRS Operations Team is working as fast as possible to clear the backlog. Please do not request feedback prior to 2 months from the request date. Thank you for your patience and interest in the Cold War Recognition program." To me, this is just another clear sign of their lack of concern. "Don't bother contacting us for at least two months. We're busy ignoring your request." Don't issue an apology, just explain the process up front, and do your 'Best' (a foreign word it appears) to process the applications in an expedient manner. For that matter, hire some more people if your understaffed!
By September of 2009, I still had no certificate, and it appeared as if the Cold War Recognition Program office, was never going to reply to my request. I don't give up easily, and decided to try again. This time, I sent my email (on the 14th of September, 2009) to as many related email addresses as I could find. I even CC'd the commander of the Soldier Programs and Services Division; a Col. William H. Johnson. This time I got a response. Imagine that, I got the commander involved, and the underlings are motivated to 'DO THEIR JOB'. On the 15th of September, I received two replies. The first came from the aforementioned commander: "Mr. Vaessen, The Military Awards Branch will send you a Cold War certificate this week upon confirmation of an accurate mailing address. If they have not already contacted you, please forward your mailing address. I apologize for the inconvenience. Respectfully, COL Johnson" I appreciate this type of response. It's concise, informative, and slightly apologetic. As for the awards branch (they replied as an anonymous entity, providing no contact name or information), their response was a bit more snide: "Our records show that you have applied for the Cold War certificate back in 1999 with your unit. The certificate was back 1-10-2000 it mailed to the APO address that was provide to us. However, our system does reject duplicate requests. I will reprint the certificate and mail it out today. Are you still at..." I call B.S. on this reply - They claim that 'you have applied' 'with your unit'. First of all, I didn't apply. While my unit might have applied, I never received any certificate for myself (through my unit - At the time it was the 301st IS at Misawa AB, Japan. In August of 2000, I applied for a Cold War Certificate on behalf of my "Father" not myself. It was clearly delineated in my letter (at that time). I followed the proper procedures, provided the supporting documentation, and my dad did receive his Cold War Certificate. This 'Excuse' is another insult to an honorably discharged veteran. They blamed me for their own incompetence, refused to acknowledge any blame in this incident, and only responded to my continued requests after I involved their commander. - They SUCK - The military awards branch/CWRS Operations Team sucks.
Yes, I finally received my certificate. Two years and five months later; after sending ten emails, attempted faxes, and a couple of phone calls. Apparently their system rejects 'duplicate requests' Yeah right - This wasn't a duplicate request, and I doubt whether any such system would work. They can't get their system to respond to repeated emails, answer phone calls, get fax numbers that work, or send out certificates in the first place. Why would anyone presume that any such system would work? I'll tell you what system does work. The system they use to ignore legitimate requests from veterans. If you're a veteran (of the Cold War era), I sincerely wish you luck in getting your Cold War Certificate. Getting mine was no walk in the park.</rant>
<http://coldwar.army.mil/>
<https://www.robsworld.org/coldwar.png>
D&D updates:
We played a D&D session on the 19th of September and here are some of the updates from that meeting. With the conclusion of the 8 August meeting*, our players have moved into an entirely new phase of the game. Gone are the S.C.R.E.W.O.F.F.S. - Existing now as a group of non-player characters. The player characters are now members of an entirely new group. The H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights. A new group of adventurers strike out from Whillip. In search of glory, fame, and justice, they seek to right the wrongs of this land. To defend the weak, enslaved and oppressed. Striking out at evil and taint, this group of characters vow to make their mark upon the land. Let H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights be a name both feared (by evil) and revered by the (good) citizens of these realms.
3rd Edition Campaign: I updated the date of our next meeting - Our next meeting is 3 Oct, 2009. This page 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>
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 H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights, a group of adventurers who set forth from Whillip, seeking fame, fortune and the defeat of evil in these lands. Since our meeting on the 19th of September, I've updated some formatting on the journal page. Minor changes that most won't notice. The party is in Whillip, and they're trying to get things done before the next adventure. This entry features input from Mutteran. <https://www.robsworld.org/ajournal08.html>
Character updates:
With the party recuperating in Whillip, I find myself busy connecting the dots, updating character entries, and tweaking things here and there. Since our meeting on the 19th of September, I had to make some formatting changes and correct a few character entries. "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 19th of September and there will certainly be more to come. Our meeting on the 19th of September saw the party back in Whillip preparing to level-up and prepare for their next adventure. You can keep up to date on the adventures 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>
Locking Down my Wireless Network:
Recently I've heard news, read reports and heard first hand accounts of people having their wireless networks compromised. Hackers abound, and some are bad. I'm not sure whether you've heard or not, but WPA-TKIP has been hacked. Back in Nov of 2008, the crack was announced, and now it's a widespread exploit. So widespread in fact, that one of my coworkers had his wireless network compromised. Someone had hacked into his wireless router. My coworker noticed it immediately, as he saw some unusual activity on his router (lights behaving oddly). I've also been listening to some computer/network security podcasts, and they've been talking about the TKIP vulnerability and other network exploits. Well, being concerned, I decided to 'Lock It Down'. There's a couple of ways to lock down your wireless network, and I'm not going to go over all of them. Here's the steps I took:
* Since both WEP and WPA have been cracked, I changed all my passwords to use WPA2 only.
* I closed my network. It's no longer broadcasting it's presence to my neighbors. If someone wants to join it, they'll need to know that it's there, and they'll have to know it's name.
* I also changed my network to use MAC addressing. Only specific MAC addresses (devices) can attempt to join the network.
* I made sure that WAN administration is turned off. WAN administration would allow someone (presumably me) to administer my wireless network over the internet. Umm, that sounds dangerous. I also turned off the WAN sharing option for my printers (and gave anyone permission to print). Why did I enable that?
* I use strong passwords, never use the same password twice, never use duplicate passwords, and change my passwords (well, some of them) every now and then.
Increasing my wireless security was easy using Apple's Time Capsule. Learning to use these wireless devices wasn't easy, but now that I've got the hang of it, I'm very happy with the performance of this Time Capsule. I wish the learning curve hadn't been so steep, and learning to use these features on my own wasn't all that easy. I wish there was a video tutorial, because Apple's help for this device is rather anemic. After changing all the settings, I restarted my Time Capsule, reconnected all my devices and now I'm running a fully secured (well, as good as it gets - as far as I know - Man, this stuff sure is wizardly) wireless network.
<http://digg.com/security/How_To_Crack_WEP_and_WPA_Wireless_Networks>
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WPA2#WPA2>
<http://www.apple.com/timecapsule/specs.html>
MMS on my iPhone - Finally!
I'm not going to rant on AT&T - You may if you'd like to. Good news for those who really use instant messaging. It's a great way to bypass email and all the spam that comes with it, but I find the lack of desktop applications and feature integration sad. I use the MMS/Text messaging features when I'm on the go, and I don't spend a lot of time on the go. So, if you're a heavy mobile user - on the go all the time - then you'll find this news to be Great! Finally (as of 25 Sep, '09) AT&T has gotten it's act together. Users of the iPhone can now send instant messages with attached media - MP3s, photos, documents. It's about time. AT&T has had MMS on other phones for quite some time. For some reason (does anyone really buy their excuses?), their network couldn't handle all the traffic they anticipated. So, I tested it. I followed the instructions forwarded by AT&T (via iPhone text message). I downloaded the software update, rebooted my iPhone and started using MMS immediately.
* iPhone to iPhone messaging works - Co-worker with iPhone sent me a message and I sent him one back. The text and photo came over the MMS channel with no problems.
*
The iPhone to non-iPhone messaging works. I sent a message with photo, to my wife. She got both the photo and the text.
*
Then I sent a message to my iPhone using the MMS email gateway. AT&T has an email gateway so people can send MMS messages to mobile users using an email address. Just send an email to 'usersmobilephonenumber@mms.att.net'. Well, that's the way it's supposed to work. Unfortunately, when I attempted to do that, the AT&T gateway removed my attachment, and I got an error message: 'The part image/jpg; name=mtnrobert_sm.jpg; x-unix-mode=0644; x-mac-type=4A50547 was removed from the message as not supported' What? I've got MMS enabled, and it's part of my plan...
<rant>I called AT&T and they were no help at all. So I called to talk about why the MMS gateway wasn't working, but the customer service rep was already prepared for the 'MMS on my iPhone isn't working' question. She began by answering my question with her boilerplate "We're aware of the problem, and AT&T is working to resolve..." Whoa, I didn't say anything about not being able to use MMS. It took me a few minutes to explain to the rep that I could send and receive MMS, the problem is the MMS gateway. Well, she didn't really know what I was talking about, but she pretended that she did. With my prompting, she agreed that it 'should' work. Didn't offer to connect me with a tech, and didn't provide any explanation as to why the email gateway wasn't working. I learned later (from a co-worker) that AT&T had disabled that gateway (for iPhone users) because some users were using it as part of a work-around to the lack of normal MMS.
Anyway, after they failed to answer my questions about the MMS gateway, I asked about the test messages I had sent to my iPhone. They were counted against my MMS/Text messaging plan, but I didn't receive the full message. Only the text portion was delivered. In the end, AT&T wouldn't remove charges (three messages) for the MMS messages sent via the email gateway. 'Technically, you received the message.' What? I only received the text portion. Anyway, I didn't have time to argue further, so I thanked them for nothing (they couldn't answer my questions about why it wasn't working (via MMS email gateway) and they wouldn't credit me for the test messages that didn't deliver MMS to my iPhone) and hung up. </rant> In the long run, I'm glad to have MMS on my iPhone. I'll use it but I won't use more than 20 messages a month (part of my plan). I'm glad its there. Thank you Apple. AT&T come on, why did we have to wait so long?
<http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3880>
IRS Income Tax Spam:
Recently, I've started receiving spam from the IRS (the from address is no-reply@irs.gov). I received 15 of these messages between 24 and 26 Sep, 2009. This spam is part of a phishing scam. The spammer is trying to trick people into download and executing a root kit, which will convert their machine (an unpatched Windows machine) into a bot for more spam, theft of financial information, personal identify info and more. It's likely to catch many people - more people than usual: It's got a subject line "Notice of Underreported Income" that'll concern people. It's got a from address of irs.gov, and everyone (well, virtually everyone in the U.S.) has a 'relationship' with the IRS. Hopefully it won't get you. It's a scam. A phishing scam. The email contains the following line: "Please review your tax statement on Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website (click on the link below):" It looks like it was sent by the IRS, but it wasn't. It was sent by some scammer hoping you'll click the link... Don't do it buddy!
What happens if you click the link? Well, it leads to a spammer/scammer hacked website (a .eu top level domain - not a legitimate IRS.gov website). There they have a fake IRS website set up. This fake website looks authentic (copied images and layout from actual IRS website(s)), and they offer links to supposed tax statements. Which your supposed to download and execute. If you are foolish enough to download your 'Tax Statement' and click/double click on the .exe file, you could get infected (if you're using Windows) with a version of the infamous ZBot trojan (capable of installing a 'root kit' on your machine - and then you're screwed!)... Hopefully you don't need any guidance beyond this point.
Please keep in mind. The IRS will never contact you/anyone by email. You should never click on suspicious links. In this case just following the link confirms your email address as valid. You may receive more spam/scam messages. Some malware/virii can infect your machine (if you're on an unpatched windows machine) just by visiting a web page. If you need to go to the IRS website. Type it in manually: http://www.irs.gov. Don't click on a link in an email from an untrusted source. You can report these spam messages, delete them, or ignore them. Whatever you do, don't reply or click on the links provided.
Software favorites:
Apple recently released some updates (with the introduction of Snow Leopard) to it's productivity suite. The new updates add a slew of patches (to enhance compatibility and reliability) and some new features to its iWork.com service. In addition to the iWork updates there's been another beta release for my favorite image editor. GraphicConverter moves ever forward. With the recent release of a new Mac OS, the developer has been busy updating this application. Here is one more beta releases for a product that's always getting better. It's another 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.
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.
This recent iWork update (28 Sep 2009) enhances the compatibility of Keynote, Pages and Numbers. Reduces the size of files created with an alpha channel. Enhanced the management of size on movies inserted into documents. Fixed a bug in the Numbers CSV export capability. Added links to online resources in the help files. In the iWork.com beta, Apple added some new notification and security features. For more information regarding this update, please see the knowledge base article.
<http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3681>
GraphicConverter:
Thorsten Lemke (of Lemkesoft) released another new beta on the 29th of September (6.5.2b30). 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 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>
I'm liking the iWork.com beta: <rave>Back in January of 2009. Apple introduced the iWork.com beta, but I didn't start to use it until June of '09 (after I bought and installed iWork '09). So, what is it? iWork.com is a new offering in the iWork suite of applications. Here is a free service (Free while 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 iWork applications (Pages, Keynote and Numbers). It's a web based file sharing, collaboration and display service. You can upload documents to the iWork.com server (the person uploading the documents must have iWork and an Apple ID (you don't need to be a MobileMe member)), and others can view, annotate, or download documents (as defined per document). My friends and I (my D&D group) have been using the service since June, and I have to say that I've been impressed. It seems to me that Apple has designed a service with a good balance of functionality and simplicity. While Windows services tend to be overly complicated and targeted at the business crowd, this service is clearly aimed at the home user. It's feature set is sparse, but the usability is high. You don't need any special plug-ins for your web browser. The other users don't need Apple's products to use the service, and it allows users to download the documents in various different formats.
You can't do any edits online (like google docs), but you can do mark-up and leave comments. If you need to, you can download a copy, make changes, and email the document to the owner. While the ability to make online edits would be great, I find that my use doesn't require that. I don't really want all my users making actual changes to the documents. I'll make the actual changes. There's no versioning system or any way of recording changes over time, but once again... I don't really need that feature (at the moment). What I really like is the ability to share documents online, without regard to the OS of other viewers. I use a Mac, and often have compatibility issues with the players in my D&D group. Fortunately, iWork lets me export in Office formats, read Office formats, and now - With iWork.com, I can share those documents without the need to send them around via email.
Users don't need a special login or account in order to use the service. I can password protect the files if I want, but my D&D documents are hardly 'private' or 'proprietary'. All the users need is a URL. With the latest updates, I can copy and paste that URL in order to share the URL outside the individual iWork applications. The service has allowed me to share documents easily, provide a means of online collaboration, and facilitated a simple work-flow for our D&D group. A recent (29 Sep '09) update (see above) to the iWork.com web service moves the email notification to the iWork.com servers. This is a good move security wise, fixes some email application compatibility problems, and fuels speculation (on my part) that the iWork applications may someday be Windows compatible! Wow - Imagine that. Apple's iWork.com service competes with numerous online collaboration services (Microsoft and Google dominated space), and now... iWork competing with the Office suite. Watch out Microsoft!</rave>
iWork.com is still in beta, but it's features are great, and I'm thoroughly enjoying the service. While it's in beta, it's free for all iWork ‘09 users. When it was introduced, Phil Schiller (acting head of Apple) confirmed that it will eventually be pay/subscription based service. No one knows (no one outside Apple) whether it will be part of the MobileMe service, or a separate service. And no one knows when it will come out of beta, but either way, I'll probably pony up some money in order to keep using this service.
<http://www.apple.com/iwork/iwork-dot-com/>
<http://www.apple.com/iwork/>
<http://www.apple.com/mobileme/>
What's New at Our House - New Photos:
I maintain a series of web pages illustrating our house. It's a nice home - big enough for Kim and I. Much bigger than any home we lived in while we were in the military. It's our home, unlike all the places we lived when we were in the military (20 years). It's in a really nice neighborhood. Recently (over the past few months), Kim and I have made some updates around the house. We painted our guest bedroom (Kim did a fantastic job). We changed the bed-frame in the guest bedroom. We changed the photo arrangement in the guest bedroom. We updated our entertainment center (in the living room). We refreshed the decor in our guest bathroom, and we added a nice planter to the front porch. As a result of these changes. I took a bunch of photos and updated the photos on the 'Our House' web pages. I also updated the photo of our house on my iPhoto/MobileMe gallery. I hope you enjoy all the new photos.
Take me out to the Ball Park:
On the 29th of September, 2009, Kim and I went to our first Colorado Rockies baseball game. We've been here since '01, but we've never been to a Rockies game or a Broncos game... Or any of the many other sports activities available in Colorado. Colorado is a big sports town, but Kim and I have been busy. I'm sure we'll never get to see and do everything that Colorado has to offer, but we're working on it.
O.k. back to the point. We took some time off work, bought some tickets and went to see the game. What game did we see? Well, we're from Wisconsin, but Colorado's been our home since 2001 (we bought our first home in 2005 (see above)), so we went to see game one of the Rockies vs Brewers series. It's a battle for the wild card playoff spot, and the Rockies are doing there best to cinch that spot. We left around 1630, took the light rail, and parked ourselves in some great seats - Section 227, Row 6, Seats 8 and 9. The game went extra innings, ending with a home run in the 11th. We didn't get out of there until appx 2330, and we didn't hit the hay until 0030. It's a good thing I took the 30th off.
I didn't have time to add any annotations or change the titles, but the photos tell the story without the need for any embellishment. I hope you enjoy the photos. We sure enjoyed the game.
<http://gallery.me.com/rvaessen#100233>
Another COMCAST internet outage: <rant>Another Comcast outage. Last one (that I know of) was July of '09. This outage started at appx 2100 on the 29th of September, 2009. I noticed the outage when I logged onto the computer this morning (on the 30th). I checked my modem log and saw an entry around 2100. Apparently Comcast pushed an update to my modem, but it didn't restart. I'm not sure why they would do that without rebooting the modem. I'm pretty sure they can do that. No they didn't send me any email, or call on the phone. I had to discover the 'problem' on my own. After reading the logs, I went down to the basement and reset the modem. After I reset the modem, my Internet connectivity was restored. This is ridiculous. Once again, they updated my modem and didn't bother to reset my modem. Even worse, this time they didn't even bother to notify me. Why can't they follow up on their work? Why can't they notify us (their customers) when there's a problem?</rant>
September 18, 2009
Cool and Rainy in Colorado:
As summer comes to it's end, so do the balmy temps of September. Over the last few days
(11 - 13 Sep, 2009), Kim and I saw a dramatic dip in the temperature. The other change we noted was rain. August was fairly dry, and it's been nearly a month since we got any rain. From the 11th - 13th, we saw temperatures dipping down into the 40s at night, and the 50s or low 60s during the day. On the 12th, we had a good soaking rain. This is the first sign of Autumn, and I'm sure there will be more to come.
Our Wisconsin Vacation - Photos Posted:
At the end of July/beginning of August, Kim and I took a vacation. Our vacation started on the 22nd of July, and it ran through the 5th of August. We drove to Wisconsin in order to spend some time with family and friends. We were looking forward to this summer visit. We hadn't been back in the summer time since... the 80's? Here's a short itinerary of our stops:
22 - 23 Jul: Traveling to Wisconsin. No problems with the drive. Ran into some bad weather in Nebraska, just slowed us down a little.
23 - 26 Jul: At Kim's parents/in De Pere. Spent most of the time setting up a new computer for the Kuchtas Ted is very happy with the new setup.
26 - 30 Jul: At Robt's moms/in Pound. Spent plenty of time relaxing in the North Woods. Enjoyed a rafting (if you can call it that) trip on the Peshtigo.
30 jul - 1 Aug: With Keith, Yvette and all the kids/in Ellison Bay. Had a good time during Yvette's family reunion. Enjoyed our excursion of Washington island.
1 - 2 Aug: Back in De Pere at Kim's parents. Spent a little time recharging our batteries. Mostly a pit-stop on the way to Kary's place.
2 - 4 Aug: With Kary & Mark in Wauwatosa. Had a good time visiting with Mark, Kary and the kids. Enjoyed a tour of the Pabst Mansion in Milwaukee.
4 - 5 Aug: Traveling back to Aurora. One minor problem on the way back. ADT called about an alarm going off! Good thing it was a false alarm.
Kim and I have been back from our vacation (we got back on the 5th, but we've been very busy recovering from the vacation) for quite some time now, and I've finally finished the chore of updating and posting all the photos from our recent vacation - Recent? Well, July isn't exactly recent, but these photos sure make it seem that way. Two different formats. I've posted the photos to my MobileMe gallery, and I've also put together a ShutterBug page as an alternate view.
Software favorites:
Two more beta releases for one of my software favorites. GraphicConverter moves ever forward. With the recent release of a new Mac OS, the developer has been busy updating this application. Here are 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 at least two new betas over the last few days (6.5.2b22, 6.5.2b26). 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 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>
More Tollgate Crossing updates:
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. I removed the reminder badges and banners for a recent Ward VI town meeting. I also posted a banner and badge for a newly formed Tollgate Crossing Social committee.
*
Updated some information on our Events page. Removed the info for a recent Ward VI town meeting.
* On the Volunteer page, I posted some information about a new volunteer opportunity. In conjunction with our HOA, one of our residents set up a Social Committee for our community. Funded partially by our HOA, the Social Committee is looking for input, suggestions and volunteers from our community. They’ll need your ideas, a little bit of your time, and some earnest support to help make Tollgate Crossing a vibrant, and socially active community. If you’d like to help out, or have a few questions, please contact: Social Committee chair: T'Lene Gall e-mail:
* On the Info page, I added some info about the newly formed Tollgate Crossing Social Committee.
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>
D&D updates:
We played a D&D session on the 5th of September and here are some of the updates from that meeting.With the conclusion of our 5 September meeting, our newly formed adventuring group - The H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights - are busy preparing for their first adventure. There's training to be had, equipment to be purchased, accounts to be balanced, and plenty of administrative details to finalize. This new group of adventurers plan to strike out from Whillip. In search of glory, fame, and justice, they seek to right the wrongs of this land. To defend the weak, enslaved and oppressed. Striking out at evil and taint, this group of characters vow to make their mark upon the land. Let H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights be a name both feared by evil and revered by the good citizens of these realms.
3rd Edition Campaign: I updated the date of our next meeting - Our next meeting is 3rd of Oct, 2009. Our meeting on the 5th of August went well, and I received updates from Mark (as Solmar) and Lee (as Mutteran) for the journal. 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. I also updated the annotation below that little picture in the corner.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ecampaign.html>
Character updates:
With the party recuperating in Whillip, I find myself busy connecting the dots, updating character entries, and tweaking things here and there. Once again I find myself updating Dynnera's profile. Adding another personality. Fleshing out the 'Ortega Blanc' persona - A merchant of Sembia who visits various cities in search of profitable ventures. As Mutteran scurries about, he finds himself unable to get his training from Mad-Max, so I had to add a profile for this trainer in the city of Whillip. Recently, Todd left our campaign to seek employment in Wisconsin (One of my favorite places in the whole world!). With Todd's departure, I had to update the entry for Quinton - The party's cleric. Finally, I did a little more tweaking to the NPC party listing for the S.C.R.E.W.O.F.F.S. The "Who's Who?" page is a listing of player characters and non-player characters.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ewhoswho.html>
Players in our campaign: Over the last few months, our player line-up has stabilized some - Until now! Just recently one of our players relocated to Wisconsin to take a new job, and that leaves our table missing one player. I just took a new group photo, and now I'll have to take another. With Todd's departure, I updated the image map and the annotations beneath it. 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>
These updates follow our meeting on the 5th of September and there will certainly be more to come. Whillip's newest adventuring group - The H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights - are busy preparing for their first adventure. There's training to be had, equipment to be purchased, accounts to be balanced, and plenty of administrative details to finalize. This new new group of adventurers plan to strike out from Whillip. In search of glory, fame, and justice, they seek to right the wrongs of this land. To defend the weak, enslaved and oppressed. Striking out at evil and taint, this group of characters vow to make their mark upon the land. Let H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights be a name both feared (by evil) and revered by the (good) citizens of these realms. 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>
September 10, 2009
Software favorites:
Two more beta releases for one of my software favorites. GraphicConverter moves ever forward. With the recent release of a new Mac OS, the developer has been busy updating this application. Here are 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 at least two new betas over the last few days (6.5.2b12, 6.5.2b13). 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 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>
iTunes and iPhone software:
Never stop innovating - Apple's motto, one of the things I love about their products. They're never willing to sit still, they listen to their customers, and they're willing to make changes in their attempts to brings us better products. This week they move forward with two products. New software releases for their iTunes media center, and the iPhone. These two products are highly integrated, and these updates (iTunes now at
9.0, and iPhone now at 3.1) bring us some significant changes.
* Have you ever wanted to share your library across multiple computers? Perhaps you have a desktop and a laptop. You want access to the same music, movies and audiobooks on either platform. The new 'Home Sharing' application allows you to sync, copy, and move your media files across those platforms. It's got potential, and I'm sure there will be more improvements to this feature in the future.
*
The iTunes store has been redesigned, and I like it. The store used to be very cluttered. They tried to put everything on the front page, and that navigation panel on the left was really tedious, cluttered and long. Gone is the left hand panel, and the store's interface is now much more cleaner. The new navigation panel (at the top) is much easier to use (imho).
*
iTunes 9 introduces Apple's new LP format for music. It's a return to the album format with liner notes, additional album art, lyrics and more. Bringing the visual experience to the digital album. Not every album includes the new 'LP' features, but I'm sure that'll change in the future.
*
What about movies? Well, iTunes now adds iTunes Extras to their movies. Traditional movie downloads are just the feature film. Now Apple has added the special features we're used to in a DVD (or Blu-Ray) release. Now you can get the director's commentary, making of features, interviews, deleted scenes and more, when you purchase a movie through the iTunes store. Not every movie has iTunes Extras, but once again - I'm sure that'll change moving forward.
*
Taking the 'Genius Playlists' a step further, iTunes 9 introduces Genius Mixes. It's multiple playlists, organized by genre. Feeling a bit Reggae? Fire up iTunes, enable the genius function (that took a bit of effort, had to disable, re-enable, restart iTunes - aggghh!), and the Genius will scan your library to create nine genre related mixes. Pick the Reggae mix and you're Jammin'.
*
Improvements integrated into the new iPhone update. iTunes and iPhone now sync more efficiently, allowing you to rearrange your iPhone apps inside iTunes. That's a lot easier than rearranging them on that iPhone display. Plus, you can sort the apps and rearrange entire pages. There's also a Genius for your iPhone apps - Cool! and the Genius Mixes sync over to the iPhone as well (or create them right on your iPhone).
*
Finally, some iPhone specific updates: Redeem iTunes gift cards on your iPhone. Save video from Mail and MMS into the iPhone camera roll. You can remotely LOCK your iPhone through Mobile Me (if you're a paying member). Safari on the iPhone was updated. And finally, Exchange calendar syncing has been improved.
That's most of the new stuff, but there are a few other items in these updates. These updates bring some significant changes, improvements and new features to the software. Be sure to check out Apple's websites for more info on all these features.
<http://www.apple.com/itunes/whats-new/>
<http://www.apple.com/iphone/softwareupdate/>
Another song for September:
So far I haven't had much time to listen to a lot of new music in September. I'm still enjoying all those updates from earlier in the month (see below). The eMusic loyalty bonus, my standard downloads for the month, and a batch of eMusic compilations. Where do I get all my music? 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 one song I recently 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!:
* Love Is Dead - The Lovemakers: (single) From the album "Let's be Friends". It's upbeat, danceable, pop with a throwback feel to it. Brings me back to the early 80s when New Wave was light, airy, and sometimes evoked Disco of the 70s.
This is one 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/>
Mac OS 10.6.1 update / Security update 2009-005:
Apple is hard at work, making sure that Snow Leopard is running on all cylinders (in my case 8 - or 16 if you count the virtual threads). Finding security flaws, patching annoying bugs, improving the user experience. These particular updates come to us just after the release of Snow Leopard. It includes recent security updates, as well as updates and bug fixes to the following applications and services: Improves compatibility with some Wireless 3G modems, Addresses a printer compatibility issue, Addresses a DVD playback issue, Addresses an issue with the Dock, Addresses a Mail account setup issue, Resolves issues with certain SMTP servers, Includes an update to Adobe Flash Player plug-in version 10.0.32.18 (Adobe Flash was 'downgraded' (to a version with security vulnerabilities) during the initial Snow Leopard release).
In addition to the OS update, Apple also released a security update (2009-005) to bring the 10.6.1 security updates to users of Leopard (10.5.8 and earlier). This security update isn't necessary for users of Snow Leopard. The security updates were included in the Snow Leopard update.
You can read all about these upgrades, bug fixes, security updates, and more by following the links I've provided below. I upgraded to Snow Leopard during August of 2009, and I have to say, the tweaking, enhancements and multi-core refinements have resulted in considerable speed improvements on my machine.
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 to our community website in the last few days.
* Updated the banners/badges on the Welcome page. I removed a reminder badge for the Metro District supplemental fee. Removed swimming pool info. I updated banners for HOA & Metro District meetings. I added a banner for the Ward VI town meeting.
*
Updated information on our Neighborhood Watch page. Updated the date of the next Neighborhood Watch meeting - 3 Dec 2009. I also posted some info about our PAR (Police Area Representative) - We're getting a new one soon.
*
Updated some information on our Events page. Updated the banner for our next HOA meeting and a Ward VI meeting. I also updated some Neighborhood Watch info on this page.
* On the Info page, I removed some information regarding a supplemental fee which residents (of Tollgate Crossing) had to pay during August. I also removed the information about the swimming pool operations (the season has ended).
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>
Rob's World! Has a New Home:
On the 10th of September, I moved Rob's World! to a new webserver. My site administrator and I completed the move in less than an hour, and the website is now hosted by a different service (slicehost.com a rackspace.com company). So much for C.I. Host. Good riddance. We had so many problems with them, that we really had no choice. This move was long anticipated, and we finally completed the move on the 10th. I'm hoping that the email configuration on this new server will allow me to reduce spam counts, and the service appears to be much faster than the C.I. Host machine.
I've restarted all my webstats, but that's not that big of a problem. It's a fresh start, and I'm looking forward to some better service. With this move, there may be some problems. Dale and I will do our best to correct any problems as soon as they're identified. If you notice any problems with the new service, please let me know. Author: Robert L. Vaessene-mail:
<http://www.slicehost.com>
September 6, 2009
D&D updates:
We played a D&D session on the 22nd of August and here are some of the updates from that meeting. With the conclusion of the 8 August meeting*, our players have moved into an entirely new phase of the game. Gone are the S.C.R.E.W.O.F.F.S. - Existing now as a group of non-player characters. The player characters are now members of an entirely new group. The H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights. A new group of adventurers strike out from Whillip. In search of glory, fame, and justice, they seek to right the wrongs of this land. To defend the weak, enslaved and oppressed. Striking out at evil and taint, this group of characters vow to make their mark upon the land. Let H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights be a name both feared (by evil) and revered by the (good) citizens of these realms.
(* Note from DM: We played on the 8th of August, we just didn't have any journal entry - due to the administrative nature of the meeting/session.)
3rd Edition Campaign: I updated the date of our next meeting - Our next meeting is 5th Sep, 2009. Our meeting on the 22nd of August went well, and I was even able to take a new group photo! and update the annotation beneath our group photo. This page 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>
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 H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights, a group of adventurers who set forth from Whillip, seeking fame, fortune and the defeat of evil in these lands. The meeting on the 22nd was another session in and about town. The party is in Whillip, and they're trying to get things done before the next adventure. This entry features input from Mutteran. <https://www.robsworld.org/ajournal08.html#aug22_2009>
Players in our campaign: Over the last few months, our player line-up has stabilized some. We haven't had many changes in quite some while (since Richard left the group and Lars returned). Unfortunately, our group photo went out of date many months ago. Fortunately, our last meeting (on the 22nd of August) saw everyone at the table (we even had a guest). With everyone in attendance, I was finally able to take a new group photo. That new photo (and some accompanying photo captions/annotations) is now posted on the players page. I hope you enjoy it. 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>
Campaign Calendar:
As our campaign dates move forward, I've discovered a few discrepancies on the posted calendar. As a result, I spent some time updating those errors. I added a description for the festival of 'Moonfest'. I moved the Moonfest festival under Novius (it was under the wrong month). I updated/rebuilt all the tables on the page. I changed the order of the festival descriptions to coincide with the order of occurrence. I also updated the description of the 'Shield Meet' leap day. These calendars can be used in any FRP campaign, but I designed them specifically for our campaign.
<https://www.robsworld.org/calendar.html>
These updates follow our meeting on the 22nd of August and there will certainly be more to come. Our meeting on the 22nd of August 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>
Snow Leopard Arrives:
Apple released the newest Mac operating system on the 28th of August, and I had preordered. I got my copy on the 29th, but didn't have the time to install it until later (on the 2nd of Sep). This update is something of a performance update/upgrade. While it's a whole new version 10.6 Snow Leopard vs 10.5 Leopard, it doesn't bring us a lot of 'visible' application updates. Mac OS X Snow Leopard includes refinements, both big and small, to a wide range of applications, processes, and interface elements. Thousands of OS features have been refined, improved or evaluated to make them better. In addition to these tweaked OS elements, you'll also find that Mac OS 10.6 is much faster; with numerous speed improvements.
Before installing the new operating system, I checked a few forums/online articles to see what kinds of problems I was likely to encounter. Once I was ready to install, I prepped my machine for the upgrade. Despite the mega-precautions recommended by many of the 'over-cautious' pundits out there, I didn't disable any plugins, preference panes, or backup separate system level components. I made a clone (using Carbon Copy Cloner) of my boot drive, checked my TimeMachine backups, and make regular MobileMe backups of some critical files. So, given my usual back-up practices, I'm already prepared to deal with any back-up situations.
From a troubleshooting perspective, this version of OS X contains numerous changes to reduce problems. If we have a power outage during the upgrade, the installer will pick up where it left off. Hopefully I won't need to test that new feature. It also checks for and disables any incompatible software that it detects during the upgrade. Wow, imagine that. That'll save me a lot of troubleshooting. Finally, this installation will not overwrite any new system components when it's running the installation. So, if you've updated some system components that are newer than those on the disk, it won't overwrite them with older versions on the install disk (Or so we all thought. As it turns out, the version of Flash on the disc was older than the version on my computer; yet the installation overwrote that newer version. The same thing happened with X11, and who knows what else?).
The only other thing I had to do when I ran the install was select 'Rosetta' (a dynamic code translator for running PowerPC applications) from the optional install menu. Good news for me, because I'm one of the people who has to run PowerPC code. My last desktop Mac was a PowerPC, so I've got a lot of PowerPC code on my machine.
Finally, I was ready for the update. I chose the default update method (upgrade). This time around, Apple didn't include an 'Archive and Install' option, and the 'Erase and Install' option is no longer presented with the standard install menu. I really had no idea how long the upgrade would take, so I was prepared to take a nap, and complete the install afterwards. To my surprise. I found that this install/upgrade took less than an hour! I installed Snow Leopard on Kim's MacBook Pro (It's a Core 2 Duo Intel machine), and my Mac Pro (It's a dual Quad-Core Intel machine). Afterwards, I had to go back and install the Rosetta component on my Mac Pro. Ooops! I forgot to install it at launch, but I had no problems installing it after the upgrade.
I spent approximately one day configuring all the new preferences. I went through all the preference panes, checking the settings to make sure they were all set the way I wanted them. After that, I did a bit of investigating, discovering and exploring all the changes. Apple's new operating system is loaded with hundreds of updated features. I could compose an impressive and lengthy list, but Apple's already done that. You can check out all the enhancements and refinements at their website.
Software favorites:
Yet another full release for one of my software favorites. GraphicConverter moves ever forward. With the recent release of a new Mac OS, the developer has been busy updating this application. Here are 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. In addition to the GC updates, I also had a Safari update as a result of a Mac OS X update.
GraphicConverter:
Thorsten Lemke (of Lemkesoft) released at least two new betas over the last few days (6.5.2b8, 6.5.2b9). 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 comes courtesy of the Snow Leopard update. I wonder why Microsoft stopped developing IE for Mac? I'm currently running version 4.0.3 (6531.9).
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>
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>
50 Free Downloads from eMusic: <rave>Recently (3 Sep, '09), eMusic (the music provider I love to hate - but really love) decided to reward me with a 'Loyalty Bonus'. Their email read as follows: "We’ve been through quite a few changes since you joined eMusic. We appreciate loyal members like you and hope you'll continue with us as we work to make eMusic the best digital music experience. Here’s a small token of our appreciation: 50 FREE DOWNLOADS. Visit eMusic by September 30 to claim your gift. The downloads will be good for 30 days." I've been an eMusic customer/subscriber since May of 2006. In those three years, they've done a few things I haven't been happy with. They've also been very responsive to my questions, problems, recommendations and concerns. They've continued to carry an artist line-up that appeals to me. They've made it easier to download my music. They provide plenty of free downloads each month, and despite their price increases (yes they've increased their prices (or decreased the number of downloads for the same price)), they're still the cheapest game in town. Thanks eMusic - Keep up the good work.</rave> <https://www.robsworld.org/emusicthanks00.png>
Samsung adds more digital streaming to their Blu-Ray player: <rave>Recently (3 Sep, 2009) I powered up my Blu-Ray player, and found a firm-ware update waiting for me. I decided to download the update, and it took quite a long time to complete. While it was running Kim and I speculated on the nature of the upgrade. I wondered whether we'd be getting some new digital content. Wouldn't that be awesome I quipped? After the update finished (nearly an hour later - must have been a lot of people downloading the update), our Blu-Ray player powered off. When I turned it back on... Two new channels! The streaming content now consisted of four channels. The two original channels: Netflix and Pandora, are joined by two newcomers: Blockbuster and YouTube.
After some hands-on testing, I found the BlockBuster channel to be a placeholder only. The content isn't available yet. I'm not sure when it will be available, or whether it will ever be available. If it does show up, it looks like they'll have some subscriber streaming (for BlockBuster Total Access customers?), rentals, and movie purchases. It's an ambitious ploy aimed directly at Netflix and Amazon. Will it provide some competition, or will it simply remind us that BlockBuster is hopelessly behind the curve? Only time will tell.
The YouTube offering - on the other hand - is available now. I gave it a bit of a spin, and found the video to be a bit better than their standard web content. At the same time, the experience isn't all that gratifying. YouTube videos aren't all that good to begin with, and watching them on my 52" Sony Bravia only highlighted the poor quality of these YouTube videos. In addition to the poor quality, the interface takes up a huge chunk of screen real-estate during playback. The navigation interface is a bit different (from it's web interface), but still easy to use. Unfortunately, I couldn't stream any HD content.
Finally, as I discovered later, the player now has support for video in the MKV format. MKV (Matroska Multimedia Container) is a wrapper for multimedia files (.mkv is video). The BD-P3600 will playback video wrapped in a .MKV wrapper. Stick it on a thumb drive, connect the thumb drive to the player's USB port, and you can get video playback via the players menu interface. I can't imagine how I might acquire video in this format (can you spell 'bit torrent'), or why I might want to use this capability, but there it is - for those uber geeks who get their video from some of the more unconventional sources.
This update proves that our entertainment center is now moving fully into the digital age. A piece of entertainment hardware can now evolve and grow to meet our digital demands. Updates by way of digital download; expanding services, competing content providers, and streaming on-demand content. This is the beginning of a bright new day for those of us looking forward to the promises made by IP-TV.</rave>
eMusic Loyalty Bonus:
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 and several other music blogs (Analog Giant, Brooklyn Vegan, Fluxblog, Gorilla vs. Bear, etc) out there, and listening to a few different music podcasts (iTunes new music tuesdays, discovery download, 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 rewards me with bonus downloads: Every month I download 50+ tracks (50 download credits) from eMusic.com. 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. This month they rewarded me with a 'Loyalty Bonus'. See above for additional details.
* Zen Arcade - Hüsker Dü: (23 songs) Husker Du was a favorite of mine back in the early 80's, and I owned a few of their albums. All that remained when I converted my collection to all digital, was 'New Day Rising'. Well, now eMusic is carrying some of their albums. Classic punk-rock. Influential, dense, and artistic. They had no idea what they were doing. No idea how these tunes would infect, influence and inspire countless American artists.
* Writer's Block - Peter Bjorn and John: (14 tracks) Discovered by listening to tracks of a free sampler. Here's a band with great variation. Indie-Rock, pop, alternative. The sound is uncluttered, with just enough instrumentals to complement the vocals. I'm glad I downloaded this album.
* Ongiara - Great Lake Swimmers: (10 songs) Every time I hear this band, I want more! Originally discovered by listening to an iTunes Indie Spotlight Podcast. Here is more of that great folk, americana, alt-country, pop sound that I really like. Crossing many lines, this genre bending band's powerful songwriting is blended perfectly with acoustic offerings to create a fantastic offering.
* Divide &
Conquer - Vandaveer: (10 songs) Here's another band discovered by listening to an iTunes Indie Spotlight podcast (singer/songwriter). This is a solo project headed by Mark Charles Heidinger (He fronts the Apparitions (Which I like a lot). Maybe that's why I like this album). Here is a strong voice arranged with simple acoustic instruments. Occasional voice talent helps fill in the background and add contrast to this album.
* Les Uns Mais Pas Les Autres - Immaculate Machine: (6 songs) This band has a crispy alt-country blues feel, that I found very easy to tap my foot to. Originally discovered through an iTunes free download. This EP is all in French, but the songs are just as awesome.
Starbucks gives away free iTunes Tracks: Kim and I occasionally visit Starbucks to pick up some java juice. While we're there, we grab the most recent Starbucks Pick of the Week card. Starbucks and iTunes have teamed up to reward loyal customers with handpicked downloads. Just visit your local Starbucks every Tuesday to pick up the latest free Pick of the Week.
* Dull To Pause - Junior Boys: (1 song) This song comes off the band's 'Begone Dull Care' album. Electro-pop which reminds me a bit of Scritti Politti and the early days of 80s New Wave. I've added the album to my eMusic download list.
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.emusic.com/>
September 2, 2009
Software favorites:
Yet another full release for one of my software favorites. GraphicConverter moves ever forward. With the recent release of a new Mac OS, the developer has been busy updating this application. Here are 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 at least three new betas over the last few days (6.5.2b4, 6.5.2b5, 6.5.2b7). 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>
eMusic Selections for September:
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 and several other music blogs (Analog Giant, Brooklyn Vegan, Fluxblog, Gorilla vs. Bear, etc) out there, and listening to a few different music podcasts (iTunes new music tuesdays, discovery download, 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 50+ tracks (50 download credits) from eMusic.com. 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 $.40 a track, it's a really good value. iTunes and Amazon still charge more. eMusic offers more music for your money, and the variable bit rate recordings make for exceptionally high quality recordings. Despite the great value, I'm still looking for something that serves up tracks for less $ per track. Maybe one of those Russian sites will suffice?
* Uncle Tupelo 89/93: An Anthology - Uncle Tupelo: (21 songs) A band I've been enjoying since 2006. An alt-country, folk, americana sound. Fantastic lyrics, vocals and acoustic instrumentals (for the most part). This compilation may mean some duplicates in my collection, but I'm o.k. with that.
* Apolkalypse Now - Polkastra: (20 songs) Another new artist to me. This download came after hearing an iTunes discovery download. What can I say? I like Polkas. I grew up in North Eastern Wisconsin, and my mother played (still plays, at 73 years young) a Polkacello! (Google that one!). With German and Polish immigrants all around, it's no wonder I grew up listening to 'Roll Out the Barrel'. Every wedding was a raucous reminder that life is just a big party. Here's another up-beat demonstration of the good old Polka tunes that fueled my musical roots.
* Vs. - Mission of Burma: (16 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. Discovered by following some eMusic links.
* I'm gonna Live - Circle Jerks: (Single) Circle Jerks were formed when the Black Flag vocalist left the group. Circle Jerks were one of my early influences. Listening to Punk Rock on college radio stations, slamming to the tunes in a mosh pit. This recent release (2007) brings back all that energy. Too bad it's just a single.
*
Love Is a Wave - Crystal Stilts: (2 songs) Discovered by listening to an iTunes Indie Spotlight Podcast. I recently discovered the Crystal Stilts, and their latest album (Alight of the Night) is awesome. Here's a two song EP released as part of their next album. If these songs are any indication, the next album will be another addition to my emusic queue.
Free eMusic sampler downloads: Here's some more free music I downloaded recently. eMusic provides plenty of free tracks (to it's members) throughout the year, and I certainly take advantage of the free stuff:
* Big Sound 2009 Summit & Showcases - QMusic: (20 songs) A new music sampler. Alt/punk genre with a variety of styles. I've already discovered four artists that I'll need to check out in more detail. This sampler showcases Australian talent.
* Don't Run Over The Birds, Please - Various Artists: (7 songs) Another sampler. Various artists on the Leaf Label. Rock and pop tunes. Out of seven tracks, I've already identified one artist that I'm planning to download. That's the good thing about these samplers. They help you find new talent you wouldn't know about otherwise.
* Kill Rock Stars 2009 Sampler - Various Artists: (15 songs) Another rock, pop, alternative sampler. Unfortunately, these songs and artists aren't exactly new. Many of these tracks have been around the block and then some. O.k. with that said, I'm still listening, enjoying, and discovering (or re-discovering) new (to me) artists.
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.emusic.com/>