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64kbps MP3
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16kbps MP3

        *WinFF is a good tool as well

Q Ryan from Boston, MA - Static noise from laptop headphone port

• Physical connection issue
• Make sure to clean off the connector
• Leo likes the USB audio interfaces
  • Like the iMic

Q Mick - Putting nephew’s wedding pictures on DVD

• Try out Ulead DVD Pictureshow

Q New video drivers slowed down video card performance

• Most reviews use Futuremark’s? 3dmark
• Some driver upgrades aren’t always improvements
• Try rolling back the driver

Q Ryan from Riverside, CA - Trying to put videos on Windows Mobile Treo

• May be because Treo’s processor not powerful enough
• Try transcoding the videos
  • Videora is a great tool

• The new assignment is “careful”

Framing

• Keeping background out of focus is usually a good idea
• Can take advantage of framing to make someone appear further or closer

• Previous assignment was highly successful
• Leo’s submission was very well done
  • Very shallow depth of field
  • Broke rule of thirds, but it ended up working
  • Directs the eye to the single subject
• The new assignment is careful

Q Erin from Costa Mesa, CA - Wants to merge partition with unallocated space

• Leo highly recommends Symantec’s Partition Magic
  • Costs $60 though
• If you don’t want to spend the money, try out the open source Linux-based Gparted
• Either way, back up before you do anything just in case

Q Video jukebox

• Wants a jukebox of sorts of ripped DVDs
• Can try out Songbird

Q Romeo from Stockton, CA - OEM Windows?

• Wants to know what OEM version of Windows is
• Sometimes activation becomes an issue with OEM versions
• OEM meant for system builders
  • Generally much cheaper
• Just make sure to get the copy from a reputable company
  • Like Newegg

Q Rugged laptop for a trucker

• All you’re worrying about is the hard drive
  • Protecting from vibration
• Panasonic Toughbooks are great
  • Pay a premium for that
• Most laptops have accelerometers to sense huge movement to raise the drive head
• Dell has the Latitude D430 which has the option to use a solid state drive
  • Very expensive as well

Contributors

Ron Rosberg - Gadgets

http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/31xVE5tH-qL._AA280_.jpg%%
Rokulabs Internet Radio R1000

• Desktop radio
• About 10 inches wide
• Gets AM/FM radio
• As well as Internet radio
• Can preset Internet radio stations as well
• Supposed to use remote control to program it the first time
• Uses WiFi
• Hard to reset WiFi settings though
• Supports a wide variety of streaming audio solutions
• Amazon lists it for $399.99
• $299 on the Roku website

http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/1215/blueantz9au1.jpg%%
BlueAnt Z9 Bluetooth Lightweight Headset

• Extremely lightweight
• Can move it from ear to ear
• Noise isolating
• Can easily wear it all day

SightSpeed

• Skype competitor
• Can do video conferencing
• Pro version is $4.95 monthly
• Fastest video Ron has seen
• Great way to keep in contact with kids going to college

Q Jose from Victorville, CA - PS3 not getting an IP address from router

• Sharing Internet through PC
  • Using wireless card as router
• Several places where that can fail
• Make sure security software on the computer is turned off for that purpose
• Rule out each problem one by one

Q Paul from Upland, CA - Time Warner cable connection dropping out

• If you’ve gone through different routers and modems
  • Either they’re all lemons or it’s not their issues

Not everyone is happy with the move to digital music. Producers are howling over MP3 compression.

Q Kelly from Los Angeles, CA - Smartphone with good phone feature

• Windows Mobile isn’t that great of a platform
  • Keeps crashing!
• Blackberries are great email devices, but not great phones either
  • However, the Blackberry Curve is supposed to be a nice improvement
• The iPhone is a great phone
  • Doesn’t do great with corporate email
  • No real keyboard either
  • Go to the Apple Store and try out the keyboard
• In terms of Bluetooth headsets, try out the Plantronics Voyager 510

Q Robert from New York, NY - Live audio streaming

• Wants to stay away from Ustream/Stickam
• For a mere 2 dozen people, there are quite a few ways
  • Windows media, Winamp, Quicktime
• Talkshoe is a great way to stream audio
  • Can even take calls
• Can do a Skypecast that can support up to 99 people

Q Russ - LoJack software for laptops

• $50 a year, puts software on the laptop to trace it
• Not sure of the statistics of stolen vs. recovered
• Good idea to get lock for laptop as well

The CD is now 25 years old.

Q Company asserting ownership of a domain

• If they are registrant, they technically own the domain
• Can go to the ICANN and file a domain-name dispute
• Want to find out who their registrar is
  • Contact them

You cannot purchase an iPhone in Vermont because AT&T doesn’t cover the entire state!

According to Comcast users in a post by Torrentfreak, Comcast is throttling bandwidth for Bittorrent; eventually making seeding completely impossible. This brings back memories of the net neutrality debate.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1350/1099652117_dba3ef081b.jpg%%

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1350/1099652117_dba3ef081b.jpg

Our photo assignment picks: http://www.flickr.com/groups/techguy/pool/tags/contrast

Chris Marquardt - Tips from the Top Floor

Sunday 19 August 2007

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