Pandora’s Box

Yet another thing worth posting about today is Pandora.

While legend has it that last time Pandora opened her box, bad things came out – this time it’s not so bad. Pandora is part of the Music Genome Project started in 2000. It’s a web application written with the intent of “helping you find the music you like”. Example. I like David Crowder. So I enter it as an artist I like. Pandora knows things about David’s music style and lyrics and searches its database for similar music. It starts playing songs for you – you tell it yes you like it or no you don’t. You can also ask it questions like “why is this song playing?” and it will tell you why it thought you would like said song. After a while it learns from the music you voted on what you want to hear.

Why I think it’s cool – you don’t need to drag your whole CD collection with you, you get to hear new music, you don’t have to waste hard drive space either since Pandora has so much already on it.

I’m on day 3 of training it to know what I like and it’s getting really good!

Try it!!

PS – more on the music Genome Project – it’s cool!
The Music Genome Project

On January 6, 2000 a group of musicians and music-loving technologists came together with the idea of creating the most comprehensive analysis of music ever.

Together we set out to capture the essence of music at the most fundamental level. We ended up assembling literally hundreds of musical attributes or “genes” into a very large Music Genome. Taken together these genes capture the unique and magical musical identity of a song – everything from melody, harmony and rhythm, to instrumentation, orchestration, arrangement, lyrics, and of course the rich world of singing and vocal harmony. It’s not about what a band looks like, or what genre they supposedly belong to, or about who buys their records – it’s about what each individual song sounds like.

Over the past 6 years, we’ve carefully listened to the songs of over 10,000 different artists – ranging from popular to obscure – and analyzed the musical qualities of each song one attribute at a time. This work continues each and every day as we endeavor to include all the great new stuff coming out of studios, clubs and garages around the world.

It has been quite an adventure, you could say a little crazy – but now that we’ve created this extraordinary collection of music analysis, we think we can help be your guide as you explore your favorite parts of the music universe.

We hope you enjoy the journey.

www.fabchannel.com

I came across this coolness while at work today. Ever want to go to a concert but can’t afford it? Or maybe you can’t go because you have to work, or it’s too far away, or….or….or…..

Excuses last no longer. Fabchannel.com is a place worth checking out. There are tons of live, full length concerts here. Some of them from artists you know and love. There are also lectures that have been uploaded, talk shows, etc.

Yes it’s similar to Youtube/Google video and all the others if you really think about it. But it’s cool in it’s own way. Check it out when you’ve got some time.

New Job

Yep, I got a new job!

I am the proud new worker at Community Christian Church. I am working for the Media and Technology Department. Job description:

Recruit volunteers to help in the tech booth for services.

Sit in on creativity brain-storming meetings to help come up with the next “big idea” for our services and ministries.

Clean, organize, and otherwise perfect the tech booth including organizing cables, tying them together, reorganizing the cables/mics/lamps/amps/ etc in the booth and behind stage.

Running lights when I am needed/not doing something else for a service.

I will also be trained as the following:

Service Producer (something like a director)

Sound Engineer

Camera Engineer

Video Editing

My job also requires other various administrative tasks:

Updating volunteer database

Cataloging video files

Emailing 8 million people to get our info included on the weekly programs

And last but not least – eating breathing living sleeping excercizing Godly creativity – in other words – helping to spread the Gospel through technology in any manner possible (minus anything illegal or immoral)

This should prove to be as challenging as it will be rewarding

How to save your computer without a CS degree!

Many of my friends these days are asking me for tips to help their computer, I even get piles of computers dropped off to me at the barn!  Below is a good list of things to do to keep your computer working great.  After all, whether it’s new or refurbished, expensive or a great steal, you still spent money on it and you’ll make my life for one a lot easier if you do this!!

1.  Open up your computer (don’t you dare touch your motherboard to see what it feels like, especially if the darn thing is still turned on/plugged in).  Get a can of compressed air “air in a can” and clean out under the motherboard, around your drives and slots.  Just follow the instructions on the can.  Don’t tell me you don’t read directions because if you are reading this post, then you read directions.

2.  Go to start, run, then type in prefetch.  Your prefetch is simply a compilation your computer made for you to load programs quicker it thinks you might ask for, before you ask for it.  Basically, you really honestly don’t need it, unless you notice the difference between a few seconds.  You should also go to start, run, temp and empty out your temporary files as well.

3.  Some other things to delete while you’re at it – cookies (process varies by browser, but it’s in the internet options general section….), ADWARE/SPYWARE (you can use great programs like Adaware SE, and Spybot to remove these unwanted intruders).

4.  Get a good virus scanning program and for the love of pete keep your subscription current.  Big ones in the market are Symantec, McAfee (free to Comcast subscribers), and CA.   These unfortunately leave large footprints in your system and you really really really have to make sure you’ve removed everything about it from your computer before you install something different.  A virus scan that I tried and liked was AVG.  Unfortunately it’s not free anymore, but it leaves a very small footprint and learns very fast.

5.  Delete unwanted/rarely used programs.  And just to let you know, if you must partake in the filesharing world – you don’t need 5 different programs running at once – just find one that gets you what you want and use it!  Lots of programs running can slow your computer, and many file sharing programs hog system resources and even slow your internet speed because it’s stealing all the bandwidth (that’s right all you movie downloaders – just go RENT!) P.S.  If you don’t want it, or probably aren’t going to use it – DON’T DOWNLOAD IT!!

6.  Disk defragment -”but why??”  I’ll tell you why.  Your computer is constantly surveying itself.  Fragmentation = slowmentation.  Put some pieces back together for your poor over used and under appreciated hard disk drive.

7.  Leave your computer on, turn your monitor off.  Constant turning on/off is hard on your computer like high impact sports are hard on you.  Instead of turning it off every time, try standby or even better hybernate!  Monitors only last so long too – the more you leave it on, the less life it gets.  Save those precious pixels for some quality time with your eyes!

8.  Dont: kick your computer, drop it, throw it, bang on it, open it up and shake it, or otherwise try to bully it into submission.  When the time comes for that, call me up have me come over, then take your dog for a walk and enjoy the world without a computer for a few minutes.  I’ll fix it and save not only you but your computer as well!

9.  Get a surge protector.  Think of it this way, sticking your finger in the toaster/outlet doesn’t feel good to you, life without a surge protector for a computer is similar to toaster/outlet finger sticking.  I recommend Tripp-lite.

IFPI Wants ISPs To Cut Off File-Sharers

From http://techdirt.com/articles/20070118/054445.shtml

While the RIAA is busy sending out SWAT teams, its international equivalent, the IFPI also wants some help in its fight against copyright infringement: it’s again calling for ISPs to cut off customers who it says share copyrighted music. It’s not clear exactly why ISPs should be compelled to do the IFPI’s bidding, much like it’s unclear why the RIAA gets to deploy public law enforcement SWAT teams. However, in the UK, the recent Gowers Report on intellectual property recommended that ISPs come to some sort of arrangement with the record labels in this area, or that government should intervene. There are theoretical objections to the idea, but it could be a somewhat decent idea, and is certainly preferable to suing consumers into oblivion. However, there’s no guarantee that getting an ISP to cut off a user would preclude separate legal action, and it’s highly unlikely that the IFPI will push for the shutdown process to be implemented in a fair way that allows for a user to defend themselves before getting cut off. When groups like the IFPI, RIAA or MPAA are the ones accusing people of illegal file-sharing, they often don’t bother to collect sufficient evidence. They accuse the wrong people, or even try to say that the mere existence of a shared files folder constitutes illegal activity. Presumably what they want is something akin to YouTube’s DMCA takedown process: they fill out a web form somewhere with an IP address, and boom, that user gets cut off from the internet, with no recourse or — god forbid — due process.

Why Macs Suck

SNAP preview anywhere

Ever wanted to preview a site without actually going to it? Maybe you don’t want to lose the spot you’re on now of your current page, maybe you don’t want to open yet another window/tab.

Now you don’t have to if the site owner is curtious enough to include SNAP in their site. SNAP is a tool that allows site admins to give a “sticky note” to a hyperlink. Simply drag your mouse over a hyperlink and a preview appears of the new link in a small window.

Now you can tell if it’s the site you’re looking for without opening another window (once you click on the preview it will load the link in a new window) plus it has a built in feature to surf the web using key words – so it’s a graphic sticky note and a seach engine all in one.

Check it out by dragging your mouse here

There is also a firefox plug-in

More freeness

Last time I posted about free classes it was through HP. I have found another source! Retail Access also offers free classes. All you have to do is find a subject you are interested in, read up on it with the links provided and then take an exam. Do well and you will earn yourself cool prizes like an AMD AM2 processor for $11. Some of the prizes are actually free. Now why didn’t we get freebies for acing math tests back in the day?

http://www.retailaccess.com/

You can laugh if you want

THE YEAR’S BEST (actual) HEADLINES OF 2006

Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says
[No, really?]

Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
[ That'll stop 'em. ]

Is There a Ring of Debris around Uranus?
[Not if I wipe thoroughly!]

Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over
[What a guy!! ]

Miners Refuse to Work after Death
[ No-good-for-nothing lazy so-and-sos!]

Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant
[See if that works any better than a fair trial!]

War Dims Hope for
Peace
[I can see where it might have that effect!]

If Strike Isn’t Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile
[You think?]

Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures
[Who would have thought!]

Enfield ( London ) Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide
[They may be on to something!]

Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges !
[You mean there's something stronger than duct tape?]

Man Struck By Lightning: Faces Battery Charge
[he probably IS
the battery charge!]

New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group
[Weren't they fat enough?!]

Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft
[That's what he gets for eating those beans!]

Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
[Taste like chicken?]

Local High School Dropouts Cut In Half
[Chainsaw Massacre all over again!]

Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors
[Boy, are they tall!]

And the winner is….

Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead