I can't believe that I have lost about an hour of my life playing with this "thing". I don't really get involved in anything remotely technical so this is pretty good for me. Off to do something more interesting now before I become addicted like my poor dear husband!
Anyway - off to live a little now and do some housework.
Rock and roll lifestyle.
Fightin 6th Marines is a blog written by a member of the US 6th Marines Regimes, based in Fallujah, Iraq. The blog makes for a compelling read, discussing life in Iraq and life in general. Whatever your views on the rights or wrongs of the Western presence in Iraq, this is one blog worth reading to get beyond the headlines and see what life as a soldier over there is really like.
See the article at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6703249.stm
This looks pretty innovative and original to me. What I'm wondering is: could the open source/free software commnunity have come up with something like that? Or would someone else have to have done it first, for them to then create the open source/free software version? In other words, are they innovators or immitators?
How many times do you usually re-edit posts? What is the most common reason for doing so?
Submitted by Mr. Guilt.
Normally one time, to remove typos and grammatical errors. I'm not sure why I bother seeing as there is absolutely no public demand for my blog anyway!
It's the day the world has been waiting for. Street parties will no doubt be spontaneously appearing all over England at the news that I have resolved the burning-CDs-to-MP3 issue that was bugging me in Linux.
More to the point, the mighty Pete Lewis solved it for me with some instructions that I can place on this blog should anyone really want to know. Thank you Pete, you are a gentleman, a saint, and a wizard of computing. When I am King, I shall put a statue of you in Dudley.
Now just the remote access to work issue to take on...
According to news today, over 40 million copies of Vista have sold so far. Proud owners of the operating system will be delighted to learn that:
- For some users, it is making a meal out of file copying, moving and deletion.
- Your Windows update might contain some add-ons that you weren't expecting. Like viruses. Nice.
Show us what wakes you up in the morning.
Submitted by Rob.
Have you ever tracked down any of your old high school friends and fellow students?
Submitted by campsite2007.
No, but they have tracked me down using FaceBook. I am rubbish at keeping in touch, but at least with FaceBook they are now permanent contacts.
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Having used Kubuntu intensively over the weekend (I had a big piece of work to do), so far it seems very easy to use. I've had no problem setting up printers or anything like that. Installing software, using the built in installer, is easier than it is on Windows. I now have a wider selection of software (including games) than I do on my Windows setup!
The one gripe I have is that Kubuntu does not support MP3s. Instead, you have to use an open-source alternative called Ogg Vorbis. This is fine, apart from the fact that I have tonnes of MP3s, and an iPod Shuffle which I use to play those MP3s when out and about. The need to be able to play and record (from CDs that I have bought) MP3s is an ongoing requirement for me.
Having done a quick bit of internet searching, the solution to the MP3 playing issue was easy to solve by installing another bit of software. I can now play all my music.
Making Kubuntu rip MP3s from CDs is proving much more of a struggle, and I haven't found a solution that I have been able to implement. The solution seems to be to install Lame, but how to install and use it is not exactly clear, and the Lame website instructions are not comprehensive to the average computer user. So I'm a bit stuck on this one.
I need to be able to burn MP3s so that I can play them on my iPod, so this is something I'm going to have to resolve. Only a small selection of portable music players from unheard of companies play Ogg Vorbis files, and I don't want to ditch my iPod - I would end up spending the same amount of money on a new music player as I would upgrading to Vista, completely defeating the purpose of having Kubuntu!
This whole Kubuntu & MP3 issue seems a farce to me. According to reputable sources, Kubuntu won't play MP3s because of patent issues. Ironically then we have a situation where Microsoft, with MP3 support built in to Windows, is supportive of the established music file standard, whilst a free software company stops its users being able to use it. MP3s are something that people like, and is the alternative to music file formats containing Digital Rights Management (DRM), and there's nothing more hateful than DRM for a lot of open source supporters.
My view is that Kubuntu should resolve the MP3 issue now. Pay the licence fee for the patents or whatever, just deal with it and make MP3s a supported standard. MP3s might not fit into the free software philosophy, but be pragmatic - you're losing potential converts. Ordinary people will be put off moving from Windows to Kubuntu because of the lack of MP3 support.
Neither I nor anyone else wants to have to keep Windows just for its MP3 ripping ability.
