October 22, 2009 by dave.

As the popularity of down-loadable audio has grown (typically music) it seems other media outlets are also starting to embrace this concept.  I recently discovered that my local library offers audio books in a down-loadable format that can be played on a computer, Ipod, or other media device.  Upon investigation I discovered that a number of libraries actually subscribe to this service.  One would think that the books they offer in this format are the less popular / obscure titles that most people would not be interested in anyway….but this is not the case.  Examples of the books they offer are…general books for children, books by authors such as Ken Follett, James Patterson, Stephen King, and others…

The service itself is provided by overdrive.com and is pretty easy to use.  Libraries subscribe to the service and in turn offer it to their patrons.  There is verification involved so only patroms of subscribing libraries can use the service.  Basically an individual gets to the site from their library or they can go directly to the site, find their library, and enter their library card number.

Individuals can download a few books at a time but they do expire (and unfortunately the checkout period seems to be only a week).  The good thing is you can simply re-download it after the period has expired and continue listening.

The only drawback to this system is the software involved and how it interfaces with devices such as Ipods.  The software is not very intuitive and takes some experimenting to master.  Adjustments to your Itunes settings are also typically necessary but are not too difficult.  Another complaint is how the media breaks into multiple files / parts.  Unfortunately it breaks the media into multiple arbitrary parts that do not necessarily coincide with chapters in a book….very odd.

Despite the drawbacks this is a great service.  I have been contemplating ‘reading’ a Ken Follett book called World Without End but the book itself is 1024 pages!  I knew I couldn’t get myself to read it so instead I listen to it on my Ipod (45 hours worth of audio!).  So check out your library and see if they offer this….it’s really a terrific thing.

Posted in Fun!, Web Sites, Technology | 6 Comments »

August 30, 2009 by dave.

As I contemplate the volatility of gas and oil prices over the recent years and also observe the recent ‘Cash for Clunkers‘ program’s attempt to remove some of the very poor-mileage vehicles from our roadways, I am reminded of my first vehicle (and a bit dumbfounded by our ineptness to create good quality, very high mileage mainstream vehicles).

My bright red 1985 Honda CRX-hf (the ‘hf’ stands for ‘high fuel efficiency) listed at about $6,500 new and was rated at 49/54 mpg - and was able to meet those ratings!  It was a peppy little car (yes - lacking many of the safety features of today) but it was my favorite car, best value, and fun to own.  Over the years I’ve laughed at attempts by car companies to improve gas mileage of the vehicles they product and find it humorous when I see a commercial ‘bragging’ that a particular vehicle gets more than 30 mpg!  I give full understanding to the fact the CRX didn’t have all the safety features and probably wouldn’t meet a number of today’s EPA standards but one also needs to consider that technology has evolved over these 24-25 years and should easily be able to make up for these things…..but it hasn’t.  Car companies need to take a very good look at the 1985 CRX-hf and go back to the drawing board with it in mind…to create new, refreshing, safe, and high-mileage vehicles.

I recently stumbled upon an Automobile Magazine ‘review’ comparing my old CRX with a 2010 Honda Insight.

It’s a very interesting article that should really make many of us think.  I only hope some of the car companies read it and contemplate how far they have (or haven’t) come in 25 years.

Posted in Health & Environment, Technology | 1 Comment »

February 19, 2009 by dave.

I’m new to the Ipod world; having finally succumbed to that urge to acquire a new piece of technology.  I’ve held off for quite a while because I couldn’t really justify the expense.  I finally lost my willpower about a month ago and started researching which model I should buy.

I initially focused on a Shuffle because, being frugal, I didn’t feel I needed to spend a lot on a device that held hundreds (or thousands) of songs.  As I started to price the Shuffle I realized that I could get a used model with a display for a little more money….so I changed my focus to a low end model with a display.  I was then tossed into the complex world of new and used Ipods on Ebay….and I had to decipher the various ‘generations‘ of each model along with capacities and styles.

I ran the numbers and finally decided on a mid-generational model (for those that are new to Ipods, when Apple releases an improved version of an existing model they increment it’s generation).  I settled on a 3rd generation Ipod Nano with a 4GB capacity….and I set myself a price limit and bought one on Ebay for about $70.  This is about half the price of a comparable new one.  Strangely enough it turned out to be the same exact one that my wife has….and I kinda messed up because she wanted one with a higher capacity so I really should have taken hers and got her an 8GB model…..oh well.

What does ‘Scott Sigler‘ have to do with my Ipod?…keep reading:  The final thing that pushed me to get an Ipod was the ability to have Podcasts at my disposal.  I had seen what was available (for free) when looking at my wife’s Itunes and I have always been a fan of NPR’s Car Talk so I am one of the few individuals that mainly listens to Podcasts on their Ipod.  If you have never listened to a Podcast you are missing out.  Grab a couple and try them out….

When I got my Ipod from the seller on Ebay I proceeded with configuring it and loading it with various Podcasts (I have since started ripping some select music onto it from my CD collection…so I’m expanding past Podcasts).  I discovered a number of Audiobooks (organized into episodes & chapters) were shown via Itunes that were…..well…FREE!

They were from an author named Scott Sigler.  Wow!  They are terrific….it seems the author is well known for Podcasting his books.  Strangely enough, in this case, free does equal very high quality!  The style of the books he produces are what I would call ‘action-based freakish science fiction’.  He’s a great author (though ‘twisted’ by his own admission) and I strongly suggest you investigate his work, either in hard-copy or via his Podcasts.  I finally got to check out his web site but haven’t yet dug into it too deep.  I feel like I need to send some money his way….to compensate for all his ‘free stuff’ (hey - the guy needs to be able to live) and once I have more time I’ll be looking into it via his site. Check out his stuff - he offers it from his web site or you can subscribe to it via the Itunes Podcast section….and if you like it send him some money or buy his books.

Posted in Fun!, Web Sites, Technology | 3 Comments »

December 5, 2008 by dave.

I’ve been introduced to a ‘new’ technological concept that I’m very excited about.  The concept allows you to create individual and segregated ‘fake computers’ within your existing computer.  Have I lost you yet?….I know - geek talk.  Anyway the concept is best described with an example:

I installed VMware Workstation software on my laptop. It was very simple and it was free for a 30 day trial.  Once I did this I decided to install a Linux operating system called Ubuntu within this ‘virtual machine’.  Now I can run and install any Linux application within it’s own virtual machine (upon my laptop that runs Windows XP Professional).

The same company has a version that can be installed on a Mac so you can install Windows to run in it’s own area.

Why is this helpful?  Well for the tech hobbiest it allows you to install and run multiple operating systems to experiment and play.  Web developers may find it useful because they can run Mac and Windows software to verify browser compatibility.  Application developers may find it useful because they can experiment with software in a segregated and controlled environment.

I have a professional interest in this because the concept will allow me to migrate several physical servers into one server running multiple virtual machines….it will save money and energy and also provides easier disaster recovery options.

A few screenshots follow (click on them for full-size):

A virtual machine loading:

Playing with ubuntu Linux in a virtual machine:

A look at the VMware controls:

Posted in Web Sites, Technology | 5 Comments »

October 21, 2008 by dave.

 Ignore this entry.  It’s needed for a site to verify ownership of my Blog. I’m supposed to add this as a widget but that’s not yet enabled on my Blog.  I’ll get to that soon.

Posted in Web Sites, Technology | 1 Comment »

September 8, 2008 by dave.

Like many Blogs, mine has ended up on the popular Blogged.com web site.  This site categorizes, indexes, and even reviews Blogs of many types.  It even offers RSS feeds which allow individuals to ’subscribe’ to specific web sites and Blogs so you know when a new posting has shown up.  The site even rates the Blogs and the site states (regarding ratings) “Editor reviews are provided by professional editors who evaluate a blog based on the following criteria: Frequency of updates, Relevance of content, Site design, and Writing style”.

I teach a class called ‘Web Expressions‘ at Plymouth State University and a significant component of the class focuses on creating and maintaining a worthwhile Blog. I’ll be using my personal Blog as a sort of ‘laboratory‘ for the class; mainly to show examples of Blog entries, the importance of hyperlinking, and how pictures can add creativity to the Blog.  I’ll also refer my class to Blogged.com as a resource and hopefully my students will get excited about Blogging and it will facilitate them expressing themselves on the web.

Posted in Web Sites, Technology, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »