- Find yourself a record player or cassette player.
- Buy a patch cord, that goes from the out on the player to the line-in jack on the computer’s sound card.
- If you don’t have a sound editing program, try Audacity. It will work on any operating system.
- Configure your program to output the file format you want. MP3 is popular, as is WMA.
- If you are converting music, split each song into its own file. With an audiobook or such, you may wish to divide it into five second intervals, or by chapter or section, to make it easier to navigate.
Month: February 2007
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How to Digitize Your Cassettes and LPs
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Free International Phone Calls from Iowa May Stop
We reported not long ago on free international calls available by calling Iowa. Now, AT&T has filed a lawsuit in Iowa saying that schemes like this have raised fees billed AT&T from two thousand a month to two million a month. Filed on January 29th, the lawsuit seeks to stop services from using regulatory-fee arbitage to provide international calls for only the price of a call to Iowa.
AT&T insists it is an attempt to bilk them to make a profit. Their main argument in the lawsuit is that since the calls are not really terminated in Iowa, since they are transferred overseas, they should have to pay the fees. We will monitor this as it develops.
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iPods to Get Flash Memory
Crunchgear reports that the video iPod line will transition completly from hard drive based storage to flash memory. Flash memory is more commonly used in some media players, including the iPod Nano line, due to its decreased power requirements and higher durability.
With increased features and functionality being in demand, and the decreasing cost and storage space of flash memory, the move can be a good one. But 32GB of flash memory is only as good as the lowest standard iPod storage space count…although the availability of larger flash memory modules is no doubt around the corner. Flash memory does have a shorter possible lifespan than hard drive storage, but the estimated lifespan is not that far off the warranty period of a standard hard drive.
We tend to prefer flash memory systems over hard drive ones. Mostly because we can’t foresee needing our entire music collection in our pocket at all times. With video…there is a need for more space to store each hour…but for those who need it…technology marches on.
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Apple and DRM
The other day, Apple’s Steve Jobs called on the four major record companies to start selling songs without digital rights management. “If such requirements were removed, the music industry might experience an influx of new companies willing to invest in innovative new stores and players. This can only be seen as a positive by the music companies…” and certainly a positive to Apple…who holds the market share.
Apple has been under pressure in Europe to make iTunes music compatible with players other than the iPod. Jobs suggested that the problem is not Apple, but the record companies it gets the music from. The songs sold are protected by Apple’s proprietary Fairplay software, which only works with iTunes and the iPod.
The Recording Industry Association of America(RIAA), who represents the record companies, suggested more DRM…suggesting they should license their technology to rivals. Analysts blame the software industry for its unwillingness to participate in creating an open and industrywide standard.
The overall idea behind Jobs recommendation is that piracy protection doesn’t work…and thus…if the industry accepts a certain level of piracy…then it will get greater profits from legitimate consumers. The idea works with CDs. Anyone can copy a CD and rip its music…then distribute it with a little bit of work.
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Open Source Alternatives
We are always looking for free and open-source alternatives to software that we would rather not pay for. Since keeping track of such programs is hard…we recently located Osalt.com…Open Source as Alternatives. Given a common piece of software, ie Photoshop…it will produce a lost of alternatives…ie GIMP.
Certainly useful…although it makes little judgement on the quality of the applications. That is up to you.
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Don't be Misled by Vista Myths
Continuing our coverage of Vista, we present this article, courtesy of Techrepublic on dispelling Vista myths, and our summary of it.
- You’ll have to buy a new, high-end PC to run Vista – Vista is more processor intensive than XP…even without the fancy interface features…but not only the high-end computers can run it.
- Vista will solve all of your security problems – Vista’s security is improved…but nothing is perfect.
- Vista is no more secure than XP SP2 – The biggest improvement is User Account Control…which is an improvement on user security roles. Roles ensure that users only have the rights to modify or access files and services they should have the right to. The problem has always been that third-party software, both in XP and Vista, has always failed to utilize limited accounts to run programs.
- The only thing new about Vista is the eye candy – Lots of aspects of Vista are now…not just the user interface improvements. Improved productivity applications, file organization tools, and seach tools
- You can’t dual-boot Vista with another operating system – There are modifications to the boot system compared to previous versions…but that won’t affect your ability to load two operating systems
- Vista requires (or includes) Office 2007 – It neither requires nor includes it. It is a separate cost. But older Office versions should work.
- Most old applications and peripherals won’t work with Vista – Newer versions of software are needed to take full advantage of Vista…but Vista does include compatibility mode for older applications. Like XP, Vista will come with a default selection of drivers, various manufacturers will eventually release drivers for much of their product line.
- You’ll have to buy a non-Home version of Vista if you have a dual core machine – Multiprocessor machines will require the more expensive editions of Vista…but dual-cores are not included in this…as they are counted as a single processor
- You won’t be able to played ripped music in Vista – Content Protection only comes into play when you are playing protected content. Your own music is not subject to DRM. For more information, here is what Microsoft had to say in their blog.
- Vista costs a lot more than XP – The equivalent versions of Vista to XP have comparable pricing. The confusing difference is that Vista comes in multiple flavors…all installed from the same disc differentiated by different license codes that determine which is installed. XP came in Home and Pro…with editions like Tablet and Media Center being sold only as OEM products. Vista sells Media Center as Home Premium…which means the general public can acquire it.
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Paypal Security Key Now Available
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Dell Laptop Burns Down House
With our continual coverage of fire and laptops, the Consumerist reported on a Dell laptop that is the most probable culprit in the fire that destroyed his home. Some aspect of the laptop apparently malfunctioned after he left for work, and the fire spread through the entire 130 year old farmhouse.
So far, Dell has yet to respond to the complaint with any degree of serious consideration. We will continue to monitor it for updates.
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YouTube to Offer Old TV Programs
Reuters reports that YouTube has signed a deal with Digital Music Group Inc to offer such 1960s US television shows as “I Spy” and “My Favorite Martian.” We’re excited. Nick-at-Nite seems to have stopped showing anything older than 1980.
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Save the Earth – Avoid Plastic Shopping Bags
We believe in the Big Three environmental principles – REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE…but we don’t always go as far as we’d like to. Sure…we’ve championed the replacement of Compact Fluorescent lightbulbs in the building(and we mean to write more on that). But when we go to stores, we still get plastic shopping bags.
Of course, we don’t recall seeing paper bags offered at any of the places we frequented in the last month…not even the supermarket. Ireland, among other countries, actually mandated a 15 cent charge for any plastic bag given out. That reduced usage by ninety percent.
An estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide. Billions end up as litter each year. According to the EPA, over 380 billion of plastic bags, sacks, and wraps are used in the U.S. each year. The Wall Street Journal estimates 100 billion plastic shopping bags, while the American Forest and Paper Association estimated in 1999 the US used only 10 billion paper grocery bags…a much smaller number by comparison.
To do our part, we visited Reusable Bags. Even Al Gore referenced them in An Inconvenient Truth. Not only are they merchandisers of reusable technology, but they are environmental activists. They even have an advocacy line of merchandise with their slogan…”Plastic Bags Blow – BYOB – Bring Your Own Bags.”
We purchased some of their ultracompact shopping bags. These bags fold up into a little pouch you can fit in your pocket so you can keep it in your car, or on your person and use it when you shop, then return it to its pouch for next time. Their bags come in various materials…nylon, canvas, nylon mesh. They also offer reusable bottles…to avoid the continual wasting of plastic water bottles…sandwich bags, lunch sacks, etc. Have a look.