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The Tech Guy
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Show Notes > Show 334	Edit \| Read \| Hist \| Prt

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Sunday 11 March 2007

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Did you remember to set your clocks forward one hour last night?

Windows XP and Mac OS X should handle the transition automatically. Older operating systems and other devices may not. Microsoft is providing a list of DST related support links for third-party vendors here.

Show Audio

Edited Audio
64kbps MP3	16kbps MP3

Tech News

The rich got richer. Forbes has released their yearly list of billionaires, and Bill Gates was #1 for the 13th year in a row coming in at $56.0 billion.

South by Southwest is taking place this week. It used to be an interactive music show/conference. However, they also now have an interactive Web 2.0 conference as well.

Sony announced the Playstation 3 “Home” at the Game Developer’s Conference recently. It’s similar to Second Life. The beta site is also now up.

Guests

Ron Rossberg: PMA photography expo

80–90% digital
JVC GZHD7 is high definition 3CCD camcorder with 60gb hard drive
- shoots in 1080i
- uses professional 3rd party lens
AVCHD is new HD format
- No software to edit though
Sanyo Xacti HD2 much improved for low-light conditions
- high def camera
- records to SD memory up to 8gb
Canon EOS 1D Mark III professional SLR camera
- fastest SLR in the world
- 10.1 megapixels
Zigview Digital Angle Viewfinder adds rotating LCD display to digital cameras
ZoomAlbum service helps you create pocket-sized photobooks
Camera Bright adds additional lighting to photography

Scott Wilkinson: HDMI

Stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface
Means of getting digital video from source to TV
Based off of DVI
HDMI carries both audio and video
Very tiny connector
- can fall out
DVI to HDMI adaptors available
Content protection may begin to require HDMI
- Image constraint token can downgrade resolution if not using HDMI
Most TVs have 1–2 HDMI inputs
- Problem mitigated with AV receivers
Five versions
- 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.2a, 1.3
1.3 has higher bandwidth, “deep color” 48-bit color, and increased color space
Not worth it to wait for newer HDMI cables
No real difference between cheaper and more expensive cables

Steve Gibson: “Free Public WiFi”

Issue surfaced with Windows Xp
- Wireless Zero Configuration
  - Windows looks for nearby networks
  - sends queries to networks
Anybody who has a computer to sniff traffic will see probes
- Privacy leakage
Somebody once used a network called Free Public WiFi
- Then other computers joined to the computer connected to Free Public WiFi
  - Then the SSID is added and spreaded
Spreads virally
Wireless client update available from Microsoft
- Not available from normal Windows Update

Hour 1

Q Jeff from Van Nuys, CA - Looking for a laptop to double as a GPS

Wants a Mac because friends use it
If just want GPS, not really needed to have laptop
- Garmin & Magellan
Garmin is Mac compatible
- plugs in using USB
No reason to not get Macintosh
- In general, more choices for Windows
On Mac, laptop choices include MacBook and MacBook Pro
Garmin USB 18 is GPS you want
Routebuddy software for OSX is great mapping software
- Will interface with the Garmin USB 18

Q Kevin - Playing audio through Skype

Leo has a mixer
Feeds audio into mixer along with microphones
- plugs mixer output through Skype
Rogue Amoeba’s Audio Hijack Pro
- Allows audio routing on the Mac
- Like audio patch bay
Soundflower free and gives 16 channels of audio
- Harder to use

Q Carmen from San Diego, CA - Can’t send email in other places

ISPs want to prevent spammers from using their SMTP servers
Checks for people by checking IP
- IP changes on the road
Some ISPs use password authentication to get around IP checking
Can use Gmail’s SMTP server
- Don’t need invitation anymore to make account

Hour 2

Q Ben from Burbank, CA - Setting up a telephone line at home

Wants to try VoiP
Skype has service called SkypeIn
- Will give you a phone number
Then you can get unlimited SkypeOut for $30 a year
- Skype has option to automatically forward calls as well
Can also go geekier route and play around with Asterisk
Trixbox is the simple Asterisk

Q Connor from Atlanta, GA - Looking for podcasting microphone/Backing up partitions

$50-$75 budget
Leo likes Plantronics DSP-400 USB headset
Rode has more expensive Podcaster USB microphone
Super Duper for Mac and Drive Snapshot for Windows are great backup solutions

Q Daniel from Rome, GA - No restore discs

Wondering why there’s 2 partitions on Dell laptop
Hidden partition has restore disc data on there
Instructions should be included on how to make discs
- May contain file allowing restore discs to work
Wouldn’t be a bad idea to call Dell to make sure you’re following their procedure.
Can use any old Windows install disc alright

Q Ed from San Diego, CA - Bluetooth wasn’t finding devices/iTunes update sizes

Experienced dropouts as well
Fixed itself while on hold
May be a loose antenna inside the laptop
- Make sure its connected
The iTunes updates replace the older one

Hour 3

Q Lawrence - Ejecting iPod

Both OSX and Vista are journaled
Possible to disconnect before iPod is finished writing
- In older days, data would be spewed all over drive
- Now, writing simply won’t be finished
Can easily disconnect without actually “ejecting” a couple seconds after operation is done

Q Matt from Los Angeles, CA - DiskPart from Vista

Comment
- Vista has built-in nondestructive partitioner: tutorial
Gparted Linux LiveCD is specifically a nondestructive partitioner

Q Ted - 1080p and Blu-Ray

Wants to know what would happen from a Blu-Ray player outputting 1080p on a 1080i set
Traditional broadcasting is 480i
Can’t really tell difference between 1080p and 1080i in normal conditions
Leo thinks the scaling chips are the most important

Q Joyce from Apple Valley, CA - Pictures sent in email removed

Receiving party email client removing/hiding pictures in HTML
HTML emails have potential to be dangerous
Most clients remove in-line images
Buttons should be available to view pictures within trusted emails

Q Jonathan from Southern CA - Moving music from Philips mp3 player to MacBook

It’s the wma files you’re having trouble with
Can burn a CD from the music
Rip music to mp3, not the iTunes default AAC
- mp3 is standard format
  - make sure bitrate is at least 160kbps
  - iPod’s not going to be king of the world forever.

Q David from Riverside, CA - Mouse not working properly