Saturday, July 31, 2010

a Yeti, an iPad, and some Blue FiRe...

I reviewed a Blue Microphones Yeti USB microphone (http://www.techtalkradio.com/blogger/2010/04/yeti-usb-microphone-review.html).



Now, I've learned it can be used with Apple's iPad...with the iPad Camera Connection Kit, and Blue FiRe software.

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"The iPad Camera Connection Kit gives you two ways to import photos and videos from a digital camera: using your camera’s USB cable or directly from an SD card...

"The Camera Connector features a USB interface. Just plug it into the dock connector port on your iPad..."

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC531ZM/A

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Blue FiRe is a simple to use professional quality stereo field recorder application...from Blue Microphones...

- "Record until…" settings
- Quality settings: Low (11.025 kHz), Medium (22.050 kHz) and High (44.1 kHz)
- File Export via Local Web server FTP
- WAV, AIFF, CAF (Core Audio Format)

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/blue-fire/id336713577?mt=8

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I learned about it after reading http://www.appletell.com/apple/comment/how-to-record-cd-quality-audio-with-your-ipad/

Thursday, July 29, 2010

August 2, new UltimateDefrag Version 3 release

Monday, August 2, UltimateDefrag Version 3 will be released to the public...

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We're giving you a sneak preview of UltimateDefrag Version 3 with this free download of the product manual where you can read up on how to use these new features. Also, below are videos of some of these features in action.


...simply drag and drop any file or directory (and its files) to any block (cluster) on the drive. Click move and watch the files move to their new position. Great for gamers or users of any demanding software wanting to discreetly optimize performance of a particular program and/or keep those files apart from other files on your hard drive. Another defragmentation software first.


Boot Time System File Defragmentation Lets You Defrag and Optimally Place System Files


...defragmentation and custom, optimal placement of (not normally defraggable) system files such as MFT and Page File. So yes you can now finally properly defrag your MFT, defrag your page file and.... place them exactly for optimum performance!


...use the interface to position and order all of your system files.  Then click run at next boot and next time you restart your system your system files will be defragged and optimally positioned.


This features works on all 32 bit and all 64 bit versions of XP, Vista and the new Windows 7.

Ability to sort high performance and archive files by a variety of methods.


Ability to defrag all files in a specific directory with just one click.

...The ability to select a file or folder from the Cluster Viewer or File Highlighter and then DRAG it to wherever on the disk display you want that file or directory to go...you can drag and drop files onto wherever you want them to be placed on your drive...if you have a number of large Outlook PST files that you want to be placed outside of the normal cluster of high performance files but still wish to have pretty high performance from, you can place the files/directories in the free space just inside the HP zone of files. We think this is a very cool feature and hope you do too.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Star Trek and Star Wars...all sexy like...


First, there was...




And, of course, there's the sequel:  "This Ain’t Star Trek XXX 2"...

Now, from the man who directed them (Axel Braun) cums:


Set for release in September of 2011.

(See what I did there?...)

Monday, July 26, 2010

DirecTV NASCAR "HotPass"

I noticed there was a new message in the "Caller ID & Messages" area of the DirecTV service about "HotPass".  Yesterday, I caught the end of it...a good idea, but not a great experience.

On the HotPass channels you can watch the race from cameras installed in some of the NASCAR vehicles.

The channels are free...from what I have read, they were not in 2007 and 2008.

Yesterday, I watched from the cars of:
Jeff Gordon - #24 (channel 795)
Juan Pablo Montoya - #42 (channel 796)
Jimmie Johnson - #48 (channel 797)
and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. - #88 (798)

I did not like watching it on a television that had a 19-inch screen:  it was too small for me to comfortably enjoy the views.

And changing the channel from one to another was unsatisfying:  it took too long...there were a couple of seconds of pause, and dark/blank screens, to get from one to the other.

For people who have large screen televisions, there should be a "HotPass Mix" channel where all four of the views from the cars can be seen on one channel.

http://twitter.com/nascar_hotpass

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

new audio software from SRS Labs

Today, SRS Labs is launching SRS HD Audio Lab software:

"...It allows the user to select audio content (music, movie or game) and then choose the speaker type (Headphone, Internal notebook speakers, or external speakers) to dial in amazing sound tailored for your listening preference...

"...personalize the sound...deep, rich bass, offer 3D enhancement for stereo and mono content, restore the clarity to vocals and high frequency sounds, and more.

"SRS HD Audio Lab also allows users to take advantage of surround content regardless of their speaker arrangement..."

Take note of the system requirements:  initially I installed the software on a computer that did not have a comparable processor, and noticed the software seemed to fail to modify the audio enough for reasonable use on that computer.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
•  Microsoft Windows XP SP3 / Vista SP1 / 7 (32bit or 64bit)
•  Intel Pentium 4 3.0Ghz / AMD Athlon 3200+
   (A dual core CPU is recommended)
•  1GB System RAM
   (2GB is recommended for Windows Vista or higher)
•  60MB Hard Disk Space
   (Up to 500MB can be used with Microsoft .NET Framework
    installation)
•  DirectX 9.0c capable video card with 128MB VRAM

Customizable audio features:
SRS 3D - a "3D" stereo enhancement for mono or stereo content
SRS 3D Center Control - extracts and positions (audio) dialog in the
   foreground or background of the mix
SRS TruBass - adjusts the bass output for more or less bass response
Speaker Size - adjusts the audio to the quality, or limitations, of the
   size of the speaker (larger speakers give better quality; this control
   can make cheap speakers sound better)
SRS FOCUS - "raises or lowers the audio field" (for clarity)
SRS Definition - highlights the high frequency details...can sharpen,
   or smooth, the sound
Limiter Level – prevents speakers from being over driven...
   for most setups, this option doesn’t need to be adjusted

Adjustments are availble for 2.0, 2.1, 5.1, and 7.1 speaker configurations.  SRS Circle Surround II creates multichannel surround sound from mono and stereo audio sources for them to be played over a 5.1 or 6.1 speaker playback system.

SRS Circle Surround II Headphone can enable 5.1 reproduction from stereo, or surround, encoded content...

I have not tried a external speaker system with the software.  When using the software with the speakers on my Alienware Area 51 M9750 notebook computer, I was able to make the audio cleaner and clearer.  Using Sony MDR-CD180 and SteelSeries Siberia headphones is when I best experienced the features the SRS software had to offer...using the Advance Controls allowed me to get the best performance possible from the headphones.

If you often use a computer to listen to music for enjoyment, this software can make it a much better experience.

{UPDATE...AFTER I HAD WRITTEN THE PREVIOUS}

I had disabled the software from loading at boot.  After restarting my computer I noticed no audio would play.  In the Sound properties, I found a "SRS HD Audio Lab" playback device had been added and was enabled.  I enabled "Speakers" (in an attempt to bypass the SRS software), but was not able to engage sound.

After looking at some of the other software I have installed, I suspect there may be a conflict between the SRS HD Audio Lab...and the Realtek HD Audio Manager that was provided with the computer:  when I disable the SRS software, it no longer interacts with the Realtek software...probably causing no audio between the two applications.

Friday, July 16, 2010

radio (broadcasting) formatics

As a listener, and as a broadcaster, I've always preferred (what I consider to be) a balancing of the elements.

No long commerical breaks...I don't like to have more than three commercials in a break.  And, I like to have something quick between the second and third commericial:  promo something that's upcoming, whether it's somthing that ahead within a few minutes or a few hours...

No long breaks with too many elements (promos, commercials, bits, etcetera)...

And try to play two or three songs before stopping for an exented period of time ("break").

I have no problem with the "song, commercial, song, commercial & programming element, song, commercial" format...it just needs to be properly, and comfortably, executed.

Being a fan of radio is what made me want to work in radio...these are the things that seemed to be great and attractive formatics and procedures.

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"...if you’re 75 years old and love oldies, but you walk past an encoded signal wearing a meter (the Portable People Meter) that picks up an r&b/hip-hop station, then you are Ludacris listener whether you really are or are not.


"...25% of all women who listen to the demographic’s core adult contemporary or CHR stations feel that the stations do not understand them..."

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

get PCmover free with Win7 Upgrade from Ingram Micro

I received a press release announcing the "MoveNowT" program:  a free license of PCmover Windows 7 Upgrade Assistant will be provided for each Windows 7 Upgrade Open License purchased through Ingram Micro U.S.  This will take effect July 19, and continue through September 30.

PCmover could automatically transfers all (or selected) applications, files, settings, and user accounts to another computer (without the need to install applications on the target computer).

"PCmover is the only software that natively will move all of your programs, files, and settings from one PC to another. There is no use of virtual machine or emulation software. Instead, PCmover's proprietary technology automates data and settings transfers and also emulates installer routines so that applications are also migrated."

In-place upgrade scenarios...from XP to Windows 7, or across "unlike" versions of Windows such as Vista 32-bit to Windows 7 64-bit...are supported.  And PCmover is compatible with Windows 7, Vista, and XP.