Downloading, streaming, or encoding music and movies.
Media
Does Skipping Ads On Youtube Hurt Creators?
Episode 1707
GScott fromGScott wants to know if he skips an ad on YouTube, will Leo lose money? Leo says there is money to be made on youtube, but TWiT doesn't make a lot. It's a few thousand a month and it really doesn't matter if he skips the ad, they've been charged for it. And skipping an ad gives youtube and advertisers valuable feedback on what ads work and what doesn't. Leo puts the show on youtube for convenience. Besides, TWiT sells its own ads in the podcast anyway, the So feel free to skip YouTube's ads!
What's a Good iPod Replacement?
Episode 1705
Thomas fromThomas has an old iPod and the battery is starting to die out. Can he get the battery replaced? Leo says that if Apple is no longer replacing the battery, check out iFixit or a local place that could do it. But the reality is, a replacement may not be all that helpful because people are now using their mobile phones for playing music, and any modern phone or an older phone people no longer use will act as an iPod as well. Leo recommends copying all music onto a PC first. iTunes would work, but it usually doesn't get everything.
What software do I use to capture VHS video?
Episode 1702
Todd fromTodd needs to digitize some VHS tapes. Leo says you need a VCR, obviously, and a capture card that goes into your computer. Then you can connect. But what software to use on a Mac? Leo says that the capture card probably came with the software. But you can also use iMovie, which is on your Mac. It'll handle it natively.
How Can I Convert an MP3 Into a Ringtone?
Episode 1697
Bonnie fromBonnie wants to get a fun ringtone and download it to her phone. How can she get it from Zedge? Leo says that it's silly to buy ringtones anymore because anyone can make them easily. Once a user has an MP3 of the sound, then he/she can convert it to a ringtone using iTunes. They can then change the m4a file to an m4r just by renaming it and sync it to the phone. That's the concept. Here's how -https://www.media.io/nl/convert/mp3-to-aac.html.
Can I import a password vault into Last Pass?
Episode 1696
Dave fromDave is moving his password vault to LastPass (who is a sponsor of the TWiT Network & TWiT Studios). Is there a way to import it? Leo says that if you can export your vault to a CSV file, then LastPass can import that. But he aware that once you export that vault into a CSV file, it's unencrypted. But that's the way to do it.
Why do my JPEGs look so bad?
Episode 1694
Sarafine fromSarafine has images that she puts on a thumb drive, and sometimes they become very pixelated. Leo says that s likely because the image is low resolution, and the metadata doesn't show that it isn't as sharp as it looks. Also, converting an image to JPEG is a mistake because it doesn't scale. So if you're using vector graphics, converting it to JPEG makes it pixelated as you change the size of it. What you want to do is change the size to what you want FIRST, and then convert it to JPEG.
Should I Upgrade My Blu-Ray Discs to 4k?
Episode 1693
Tom fromTom wants to know how much better 4K Blu-Ray is over standard blu-ray. Should he upgrade? Leo says that 4K is 4 times more resolution than standard Blu-ray, but the big difference is the higher dynamic range (HDR). The colors are bolder, the blacks are blacker, and viewers can see more detail in extreme brightness and low light. But everything in the chain has to support 4K. The TV, the cables, the player. But Leo believes we're finally at the end of the road for physical media. So if anyone wants to upgrade to 4K for one last copy, do it because they want the HDR upgrade.
Tech Company Earnings Up, Even During COVID-19
Episode 1691
Quarterly earnings reports reflected a modest growth for tech giants this week in spite of the outbreak. Spotify, for example, stated that every day is a weekend now, as daily listenership was up. Microsoft reported single-digit growth as well. But Leo says that doesn't mean next quarter won't be the same.
Advertising revenues, by contrast, have plummeted online as advertisers pull back.
How do I sync my phone in Catalina?
Episode 1688
Tom fromTom got a message from his iPhone 11 Pro that his phone was almost full. So he's been moving stuff off. But how does he back up his playlists? Leo says you can do it wirelessly. Go into settings and look in "about" to see what's taking up all the room. Then, you can go into the Music app and delete the music artist by artist. But in Catalina, you can still sync in the music app as you used to with iTunes. Select Sync check songs only.
How can I start a podcast?
Episode 1680
Brian fromBrian has a couple of friends that want to start a podcast. Leo says it's a great time to start one, and you can get started with just a smartphone thanks to Anchor.FM. There's also Twisted Wave, an app. In fact, a smartphone has everything you need to do a professional-sounding podcast. But if you want to expand, Leo says an Emotiv mic will plug into your phone and give you a little better audio. Anchor.FM can then be the publisher. They will also bring it up to iTunes and other podcasting aggregators. You also get a web page. And they don't charge you either.
