Tag Archives: Web/Tech

Don’t Know About The Music, But The CD Sucks!

Who would honestly think this is a good thing?  It’s absolutely ridiculous, if you ask me.  By taking these measures “in order for you to enjoy a high quality music experience”, they are surely alienting the very people they should be grateful to: the law-abiding CD purchaser.  Thanks for legally purchasing this music.  As a thanks, we are making this CD frustratingly restrictive.
The following is an insert of rules that is found in the latest CD from Coldplay.  
Is this the very definition of Unmitigated Gall?

THIS CD IS A COPY PROTECTED CD

Thank you very much for purchasing this CD and helping the cause of “Anti-Piracy”.  The recordings in this CD have an anti-copying function.  They cannot be copied into a PC.  In order for you to enjoy high quality music, we have added this special technology.
Before using, please first read the following:
USAGE GUIDELINES:
This CD cannot be burnt onto a CD-R or hard disk, nor can it be converted into MP3 for file sharing.
This CD has been manufactured for usage in regular CD players, but might not play in the following players:

  • Some CD players that have the capability of burning into an MP3 (such as portable players or car stereos)
  • Some CD players that possess CD-R/RW functions (such as portable players or car stereos)
  • Some car stereos with satellite “Guidance” systems
  • Some CD players or car stereos with hard disk recording capability
  • Some CD-R/RW Recorders used for music
  • Some portable CD players
  • Some DVD players
  • Some CD/LD Convertible Players
  • Some Game Players

Although you can use your PC’s Windows program to listen to certain tracks, this does not meant that the CD can be played in all PCs.

  • The first time that this program is used (in Windows automatic starter software) it gets registered in Windows *File.  Thus, programs already registered do not affect Windows * operation
  • Windows OS also uses the latest files

This CD does not support Macintosh PC software

  • Except for manufacturing problems, we do not accept product exchange, return or refund.

Basically, it’s “Thanks for being honest.  Good luck with it, and we hope you have a CD player in which this CD works.  Whether you do or not, you cannot return this CD.  Thanks, again!”

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WTF? WMF vulnerability? Here’s a hotfix:

So, another hole/security issue has been discovered within Windows.  Apparently it’s a pretty nasty one, and can infect your computer through a number of avenues.  As of now, Microsoft doesn’t have any patch ready to go, but there is a temporary fix available.

Here’s the link to download the temporary patch.  Just download this link and install it.  When Microsoft finally gets around to offering their official patch, just remove this one and go with the official one.

Don’t just take my word for it (I’m just taking the word of others around the ‘net), but sounds like this one shouldn’t be ignored.  
Do your own research on this issue, and feel comfortable about installing this temporary patch before you do install it.  If you have problems as a result of the patch, don’t blame me.
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There. And Not There

This weekend was one of those frustrating computer weekends. First, for whatever reason, my Picasa2 (a favourite, by the way, especially now that I have a digital camera) decided it would discount all the efforts we made to categorize and label our thousands of pictures.  You know, the “any picture with Rob in it gets a “Rob” label” kind of stuff.  Yesterday, I started up Picasa2 and it was showing zero pictures.  It had to import them all again, and the labels we had created had disappeared.
Oh well, at least the pictures are all intact.
Then, today, I open iTunes and lo and behold, there is no music in the iTunes Library.  The files are all still on the computer, but none were showing up in iTunes.  Had a heck of a time trying to get things back in order without losing playlists and smartlists.  I wouldn’t have cared too much, and would’ve just imported the files again, but I sync my iPod through playlists and smartlists, so I really wanted to find them.  Fortunately, a google search gave me the problem and solution:  a corrupted library file.  A quick deletion and moving of files in my iTunes folder, another importation of the moved library file and voila, back in action.
I am sure you are thrilled.  As if anyone read to this point.

,

iPod iWishes

I like my iPod.  Very much.
There are things about it though, that I wish were better.  I’d like to see these ideas implemented:
– When you select "Songs" on the menu, the alphebetized list of all your songs is displayed.  It would be great if there was a better way to navigate around the (usually) huge listing.  To get to a song that begins with "S" for instance, it takes a bit of wheel-scrolling and all of a sudden you’ve zoomed to the end of your list.  I suppose that one could create Alphabet Smartlists, I suppose, to break the songs down alphabetically, but that’s kind of a hassle.  I like being in the menu that contains all songs, and I’d like to be able to, I don’t know, tab through the alphabet, get to the letter I want, then wheel-scroll through them.
–  I usually just listen to my full playlist, shuffled.  I like not knowing what song comes up next.  Sometimes, though, I’ll hear a song come on and I’ll think I’d like to hear more songs from that album, or artist.  I wish there was an easy one-or-two-click way to access that album or artist.  Currently I have to navigate to menu, then to artist, then to album and select it.
–  I wish there was a bit more user ability to alter tags.  Currently, about all one can do is give songs different ratings.  It would be great if you could, on your iPod, add short comments to the tags, or put songs in different playlists from your iPod.  For instance, let’s say I’d like to have a playlist of songs that I’d like to learn how to play on the guitar.  It’d be great if, when listening to songs on the iPod, if I could mark the random songs that come on as "guitar" (or whatever).  Currently, I’d have to remember to remember that song later when I am on iTunes.

Anybody have any tips on how to make a pretty smart iPod experience even smarter?

iGuess

That it’s a flash system is good for those who ride on motorbikes across bumps, iGuess.
That it’s only $99(US) is good, iGuess.
Half a gig of space is more than enough if you’re gonna be regularly updating the playlist, iGuess.

But don’t get sucked into the marketing that it’s so fun to not know what song is coming up next.
If you already own an iPod, here’s a quick and easy way to turn it into an iPod Shuffle.