Review: Xitel INport
Digitizing tapes and LPs, a relatively good solution to sound input. (Years ago I bought a high end sound card that was supposed to allow good sound input -- awful interference problems!). USB input. An industrial version of the Griffin iMic.
Sunday, October 10, 2004
Quicken -- the LAST straw
Quicken.com - Quicken software Official Site Home, See Your Complete Financial Picture in Minutes
When I download my US Bank information into Quicken 2002 it creates split transactions for every item based on an old memorized paycheck transaction. No matter how many times I mess around with memorized transactions, I can't make QKN 2002 stop doing this.
I've used Quicken since version 2.0 for DOS. Over the past 15 years or so it's, in general, become more complex and less reliable. (Exception: For about 4-5 years in the middle of that interval Quicken routinely corrupted data files. That got fixed.)
It's just a crummy piece of software junk now.
I'm back to spreadsheets.
When I download my US Bank information into Quicken 2002 it creates split transactions for every item based on an old memorized paycheck transaction. No matter how many times I mess around with memorized transactions, I can't make QKN 2002 stop doing this.
I've used Quicken since version 2.0 for DOS. Over the past 15 years or so it's, in general, become more complex and less reliable. (Exception: For about 4-5 years in the middle of that interval Quicken routinely corrupted data files. That got fixed.)
It's just a crummy piece of software junk now.
I'm back to spreadsheets.
The Celestia Motherlode: Holy Cow.
The Celestia Motherlode: Home
Unbelievable. A repository of celestial data sets that drive a virtual universe explorer -- Celestia.
Unbelievable. A repository of celestial data sets that drive a virtual universe explorer -- Celestia.
About.com Mac Movable Type Blog
Focus on Macs
I'd forgotten about "about.com". Turns out, it's still out and about.
It came up on a Google search, and on inspection it looks interesting. I'll add it to my bloglines collection.
I'd forgotten about "about.com". Turns out, it's still out and about.
It came up on a Google search, and on inspection it looks interesting. I'll add it to my bloglines collection.
Paragon CD-ROM emulator
CD-ROM emulator
Third in the series of the CD emulators. One problem with emulation on Windows is the darned drive letter issue. Mac Classic was immune to drive letter confusion. Unfortunately OS X isn't as good about this as Classic was (the biggest single step backwards between OS X and Classic).
Third in the series of the CD emulators. One problem with emulation on Windows is the darned drive letter issue. Mac Classic was immune to drive letter confusion. Unfortunately OS X isn't as good about this as Classic was (the biggest single step backwards between OS X and Classic).
Virtual CD: Mount CD Image on Windows XP
Virtual CD Drive Emulator Info and Download
One of 3-4 tools that brings some of the OS X built-in image handling capabilities to Windows.
One of 3-4 tools that brings some of the OS X built-in image handling capabilities to Windows.
Saturday, October 09, 2004
American Express | Statement Delivery Options - We're Sorry... (and sorry, and sorry)
American Express | Statement Delivery Options - We're Sorry...: "We are currently experiencing technical difficulties. Please wait 15 minutes and then retry your request. "
I've been getting the same error message from American Express for five days. It's had to communicate how very unimpressed I am.
Ten years ago when Quicken maile dme a diskette of credit card transactions every month I had no problems. It just worked. It worked for years. Things have never worked as well since.
AMEX has had years of problems with their systems providing online banking support. I wish I knew who did their IT work -- so I could avoid them like the plague!
I've been getting the same error message from American Express for five days. It's had to communicate how very unimpressed I am.
Ten years ago when Quicken maile dme a diskette of credit card transactions every month I had no problems. It just worked. It worked for years. Things have never worked as well since.
AMEX has had years of problems with their systems providing online banking support. I wish I knew who did their IT work -- so I could avoid them like the plague!
Disk Imaging for Mac OS X and putting CDs on an iPod
AFP548 - Disk Imaging for Mac OS X Made Easy
This is a rather technical article on an esoteric topic; but it puts a lot of useful information together.
In a much simpler vein, it finally occurred to me that I could put images of the chilrden's CDs on my iPod. Using Disk Utility I easily turned 6 children's games CD into images stored on my iPod. Creating as CDR, compressed or read/write image all worked, but compressed took a long time to open. One or two occasions I had to "dismount" the CD (not eject) using Disk Utility in order to isolate "Session One". I think used the create New Image menu to specify "Session One" as the source.
This is all legal -- they are four our use. We still have the CDs, but it's much more convenient to run off my iPod rather than hunt down the vulnerable CDs. Faster too.
I suspect I can do something similar on my PC, but I don't know how! Disk Images are a natural part of OS X.
This is a rather technical article on an esoteric topic; but it puts a lot of useful information together.
In a much simpler vein, it finally occurred to me that I could put images of the chilrden's CDs on my iPod. Using Disk Utility I easily turned 6 children's games CD into images stored on my iPod. Creating as CDR, compressed or read/write image all worked, but compressed took a long time to open. One or two occasions I had to "dismount" the CD (not eject) using Disk Utility in order to isolate "Session One". I think used the create New Image menu to specify "Session One" as the source.
This is all legal -- they are four our use. We still have the CDs, but it's much more convenient to run off my iPod rather than hunt down the vulnerable CDs. Faster too.
I suspect I can do something similar on my PC, but I don't know how! Disk Images are a natural part of OS X.
Bloggler's Potemkin Permalinks
This is the "permalink" to a post in my test blog (authored using blogger).
Test Blog: OriginalName
Here's the "permalink" after I edited the subject line in the above post.
Test Blog: NewName
Try both. The first now fails. The second will work until I revise the subject line.
These are not Permalinks -- they are Potemkin Links. They look "permanent", but they're fake.
Blogger doesn't support true Permalinks on their post pages.
This is a poor practice. Blogger is encouraging widespread broken links.
There are at lest two things they could do instead:
1. Blogger supports true permalinks on non-post page blogs. They should create a new template tag that would support these old-style in-context links. I prefer in-context permalinks anyway.
2. Blogger could support indirection, so the old link would redirect to the new link.
Test Blog: OriginalName
Here's the "permalink" after I edited the subject line in the above post.
Test Blog: NewName
Try both. The first now fails. The second will work until I revise the subject line.
These are not Permalinks -- they are Potemkin Links. They look "permanent", but they're fake.
Blogger doesn't support true Permalinks on their post pages.
This is a poor practice. Blogger is encouraging widespread broken links.
There are at lest two things they could do instead:
1. Blogger supports true permalinks on non-post page blogs. They should create a new template tag that would support these old-style in-context links. I prefer in-context permalinks anyway.
2. Blogger could support indirection, so the old link would redirect to the new link.
iFire and Apple Pro speakers
ATPM 10.02 - Review: iFire
Apple sells Apple Pro Speakers for their G4 machines. I don't think they're supported on later model G5 machines, so they don't have much of a future. They require an unusual audio connector that provides firewire-level power as well as ditigal sound output.
As the G4s move into the twilight unsold speakers are being dumped on the market. Dealmac listed a Small Dog computer price of $15 for demo models (open box) with a $3 shipping credit.
Turns out other machines can use these -- if one buys a Griffin iFire. Griffin's site has a very limited description, but the this and this review gives a much better picture. The iFire is mouse-sized converter that gets its power from a firewire port -- or a an iPod charger or other firewire-type power source. It has a standard analog audio in jack, so it's doing D/A conversion . It's a bit disconcerting that the iBook/iPod is translating the digital music to an analog output, then the iFire is converting the analog signal to a digital signal for these speakers, which in turn translate it to an analog output (sound waves). Seems like one could do with fewer D/A conversions. Good thing I'm not an aesthete. We do need to get better about digital output.
Too bad the AirPort Express doesn't support these speakers!
I've ordered both the iFire on the Apple Pro speakers from Small Dog. The combination was $50 (I'm surprised Small Dog isn't bundling them), but this is still a good price. I'll either use them with my iBook and/or iPod in the kitchen (powered off my iPod charger) or upstairs powered from the firewire PCI card in my XP machine. In both cases I'm getting a compact set of speakers and I don't have to fuss with yet another power brick!
These aren't really travel speakers, they're a peculiar niche product of high quality compact sound sources.
I'll update this posting after I get my toys.
Update: I got my speakers from Small Dog computing today. They came without packaging, manual, etc. They were dusty, dirty, and spartan. They work just fine though, and a damp cloth made them look fine too. The iFire is smaller than I'd expected, it's a bit thicker than an iPod mini. I never read the directions, it was obvious how to hook it up. I experimented with putting the speakers on my iBook, but for now they're on my XP machine upstairs. The PCI firewire card (Orange Micro) is powering the iFire, in turn the iFire is managing the speakers. It's quite compact and much neater than traditional PC speakers (no power brick!).
They're not the greatest speakers for rock and roll or R&B (limited bass), but Jazz sounds terrific (good mid-range).
Apple sells Apple Pro Speakers for their G4 machines. I don't think they're supported on later model G5 machines, so they don't have much of a future. They require an unusual audio connector that provides firewire-level power as well as ditigal sound output.
As the G4s move into the twilight unsold speakers are being dumped on the market. Dealmac listed a Small Dog computer price of $15 for demo models (open box) with a $3 shipping credit.
Turns out other machines can use these -- if one buys a Griffin iFire. Griffin's site has a very limited description, but the this and this review gives a much better picture. The iFire is mouse-sized converter that gets its power from a firewire port -- or a an iPod charger or other firewire-type power source. It has a standard analog audio in jack, so it's doing D/A conversion . It's a bit disconcerting that the iBook/iPod is translating the digital music to an analog output, then the iFire is converting the analog signal to a digital signal for these speakers, which in turn translate it to an analog output (sound waves). Seems like one could do with fewer D/A conversions. Good thing I'm not an aesthete. We do need to get better about digital output.
Too bad the AirPort Express doesn't support these speakers!
I've ordered both the iFire on the Apple Pro speakers from Small Dog. The combination was $50 (I'm surprised Small Dog isn't bundling them), but this is still a good price. I'll either use them with my iBook and/or iPod in the kitchen (powered off my iPod charger) or upstairs powered from the firewire PCI card in my XP machine. In both cases I'm getting a compact set of speakers and I don't have to fuss with yet another power brick!
These aren't really travel speakers, they're a peculiar niche product of high quality compact sound sources.
I'll update this posting after I get my toys.
Update: I got my speakers from Small Dog computing today. They came without packaging, manual, etc. They were dusty, dirty, and spartan. They work just fine though, and a damp cloth made them look fine too. The iFire is smaller than I'd expected, it's a bit thicker than an iPod mini. I never read the directions, it was obvious how to hook it up. I experimented with putting the speakers on my iBook, but for now they're on my XP machine upstairs. The PCI firewire card (Orange Micro) is powering the iFire, in turn the iFire is managing the speakers. It's quite compact and much neater than traditional PC speakers (no power brick!).
They're not the greatest speakers for rock and roll or R&B (limited bass), but Jazz sounds terrific (good mid-range).
MacZealots.com - Comparable applications for Windows and OS X
MacZealots.com - Articles - From Windows To OS X: The Applications
The list is interesting in both directions. He understated the choices on the PC, but I still found some PC apps of interest to match the OS X apps I use. (I need to work on both platforms.)
The list is interesting in both directions. He understated the choices on the PC, but I still found some PC apps of interest to match the OS X apps I use. (I need to work on both platforms.)
Friday, October 08, 2004
BestBuyCable - Serial ATA (SATA) Cables and IDE Adaptors
BestBuyCable - Serial ATA (SATA) Cables and IDE Adaptors
A very wide variety of cables, mostly inexpensive. I would be careful about low cost firewire cables.
A very wide variety of cables, mostly inexpensive. I would be careful about low cost firewire cables.
Laptop Speakers: Nice job assembling views of Amazon and other products
Laptop Speakers
This appears to be a meta-vendor site. They aggregate products in a value-added fashion, incorporate some reviews, and point to the real vendor. Nice job on laptop speakers -- best collection I've seen.
This appears to be a meta-vendor site. They aggregate products in a value-added fashion, incorporate some reviews, and point to the real vendor. Nice job on laptop speakers -- best collection I've seen.
Outlook OST File Recovery - ExchangeRecovery (was ost2pst.exe?)
OST File Recovery, Repair Orphaned Offline Storage Files, Recover Corrupted Data
This is a fairly costly tool for recovering from a number of Outlook/Exchange synchronization disasters. I think it was derived from ost2pst.exe. The latter can be downloaded from several sites, though I wonder if the distribution is legal.
It will, among other things, convert an "orphaned" OST file into a useable PST file.
This is a fairly costly tool for recovering from a number of Outlook/Exchange synchronization disasters. I think it was derived from ost2pst.exe. The latter can be downloaded from several sites, though I wonder if the distribution is legal.
It will, among other things, convert an "orphaned" OST file into a useable PST file.
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