Stevenator Talks Tech

Import Lyrics to iTunes Fast!

2008-06-17T12:25:00.001-05:00

Holy Cow! I have spent hours finding lyrics online, copying them, then pasting them into iTunes so they’ll show up on my iPod. Sometimes you just really want to know the lyrics. But with 3000 songs in my library, this project has turned out to be very time consuming.

When I ran across an article about LyricSnapper on JAMM I got excited and tried it out. That software has you play a song for just a couple seconds, then it is supposed to get the lyrics and import them when you terminate the song. However, even though it’s free, I found it to be wildly unstable. Sometimes it would pull the lyrics from LyricWiki, but it wouldn’t add them to the id3 tags. Often it would freeze up, forcing me to shut it down.

So I searched and found a great solution called iLyrics. This one allows you to get lyrics in batches. Check it out:

When you right-click on a song you get a menu. Choose Get Info.

Above: No lyrics. Yuch.

Above: Open iLyrics. Looks like the iTunes icon.

This software gives you the option of updating automatically or manually. By checking Update Automatically, you can choose multiple songs, as opposed to individually updating lyrics. I will warn you, however, that good as this software is, sometimes problems arise. So don’t try to update too many songs at once. I found that updating up to 50 songs at a time was fairly manageable. It only takes a half second or so per song.

Above, I selected the 51 Queen songs I just imported into iTunes.

When you press Get Lyrics, it opens up a window that looks like records in an Access Database. It then starts updating songs. So far so good.

Above: The red exclamation point marks songs where lyrics could not be updated. Perhaps the title is not spelled correctly, or the lyrics simply may not exist in the LyricWiki database.

Above is an example of an error in the program. Most of the time I could press OK and it would continue. Sometimes the program had to restart.

If a song already has lyrics you can have the software either overwrite them or leave them alone, simply by checking the appropriate box. Here’s what the software looks like when it skips songs that contain lyrics:

I found that iLyrics generally averages about a 70% success rate, which is pretty good. That still leaves me with alot of manual updating, but not nearly as much as I would’ve had before.

The software is free and easy to use. I found it to be very intuitive. But I recommend that you don’t update more than 50 songs at a time, because if the software runs into a problem, it freezes and displays an error.

Xilisoft Video Converter Free Today

2008-06-17T12:20:00.001-05:00

Giveawayoftheday.com is giving free copies of this software today. According to the website:

Xilisoft Video Converter can convert between all popular video & audio formats such as AVI to MPEG, WMV to AVI, WMV to MPEG or H.264 video, AVI files to iPod, AVI to MP3, WMA or AAC audio files etc. It is an easy, all-in-one video conversion tool, namely, it can act as 3GP Video Converter, iPod Video Converter, PSP Video Converter, Zune Video Converter, AVI MPEG Converter, MP4 Video Converter, MOV converter, etc.

Key Features:

Super fast conversion speed;
Convert videos for PSP, PS3, iPod, iPhone, Apple TV, Zune, Archos, Blackberry, iRiver PMP, Creative Zen, etc.;
Supports H.264 video format, PSP MPEG-4 AVC encoding/decoding, PSP AVC Video (480×272) (*.mp4);
A video converter wizard designed to help you begin;
A PSP Video Manager attached to help you manage your PSP;
Convert any clip or segment of the video by setting the start point and duration;
Support to pause, stop and continue during the conversion;
Support to rename the output file.

Here's the link. Happy downloading.

The Ultimate UMPC is not a UMPC!

2008-01-26T11:21:00.000-06:00

According to Microsoft, a UMPC is supposed to be:

photo courtesy of Engadget

"About the size of a paperback book, the UMPC is small and light enough to fit easily into a carry-on, a purse, or a backpack. And yet, the UMPC features a powerful processor, a big, bright display, easy-to-use input options, and support for the latest connectivity standards.

The UMPC offers a display of 4-7 inches and touch capabilities, all in a package that weighs less than 2 pounds. But don’t underestimate this small computer—it can run all of the same Windows Vista-compatible software you’re already familiar with."

We certainly have seen some of these ideal elements in UMPCs, but as far as running "Windows Vista-compatible software" using a "powerful processor" is concerned, this project is a failure. Some recent reviews illustrate the concept:

From JK on the Run’s WiBrain review on slow performance, "For example: opening up Microsoft Word 2007 takes 6 seconds on the Q1P. The same task on the WiBrain routinely takes 9 seconds."

And on the screen resolution,
"Here’s where compromise, as it so often does with mobile devices, comes into play: due to the high res and the excellent trackpad, I found myself rarely using the touchscreen. Items are too small to accurately touch when it’s easier to just use the trackpad, cursor and mouse buttons."

From Pocketables’ OQO Model 2 Review on slow performance, "If you can tolerate nothing less than the top-of-the-line powerhouse desktop systems, then something like the OQO Model 02 (or any UMPC, for that matter) will definitely not make you happy."

Photo Courtesy of Ultramobile PC

From UltraMobilePC’s Vega Review on its 5" screen size, "For example, I use contact lenses and I do not need reading glasses unless the letters are too small, like the ones printed in some drug boxes. I do not need reading glasses at all to use any of the UMPC with a 7 inches display but I felt the need of my glasses using Vega.

From UltraMobilePC’s Amtek T770 Review on battery life, "…the battery life is between 2 hours and 2 hours 15 minutes according to my tests."

And on performance, "If you are a regular user that does not care about performance but you want an integrated webcam and microphone without having to pay a extra money, yes, you will find in this machine these features…"

Photo courtesy of Hanno’s Blog

Hanno’s Everun Review on odd size resolutions often found in UMPCs, "800×480 is the recommended screen resolution that Microsoft chose for UMPCs, yet the OS has menus that don’t fit. What good is the promise of being able to run standard software when the screen estate is too small for it?"

You get the idea. The processor’s are too slow for the (bloated) OS, the screen resolution is all wrong, rendering many UMPCs unreadable without a magnifying glass, the OS’s menus don’t fit on the screen, multitasking is impossible due to lack of memory and processing power, and battery power is generally lackluster, if not putrid.

Indeed, not all UMPCs fail in every area. Some are better than others. But there is a lack of consistency across the board regarding features and performance. UMPCs range in size, keyboard type, connectivity options, price, screen sizes and many other features, so lumping them into one category and saying they are inadequate may not be completely fair, but I have not read one UMPC review that has made me want to run out and get one. To be sure, spending $800 to $2400 for lackluster performance in a package that is not quite pocketable, and is fraught with compromises, hardly intrigues me. Pocket PCs are too small. I need a larger screen to view spreadsheet data among other things. Laptops are too big. So I find myself aching for a UMPC.

The Ultimate UMPC

Find the Ultimate UMPC after the break

And I think I found the Ultimate UMPC. Ok, it’s technically not a UMPC, but it can outperform any UMPC. I would have trouble naming one UMPC that packs so many features into one unit and performs so many functions well. It fits in a pocket (barely), has HSDPA, Bluetooth, WiFi B & G, GPS, onboard USB 1.1 hosting, 3MP camera, 5" VGA touchscreen running at 640 x 480, ATI graphics, an 8 GB microdrive and much more. The OS? Windows Mobile 6. (I am not actually going to review the unit. There are many excellent reviews already. My intention is merely to show how the Advantage bests the UMPCs in their own arena).

Windows Mobile 6 is light enough to run quickly on the 624 MHz proc, yet robust enough to handle every software program I use. With just a few adjustments I can customize it for my needs with almost no compromise.

The Display

Unlike the tiny 3.7" display on many PDAs, this 5" display looks absolutely monstrous. Yet a 5" display on a UMPC clearly doesn’t work. I can view a large enough chunk of a spreadsheet using PlanMaker.

TomTom GPS is so large you can see the whole county.

The Home screen is glorious, and with SBSH iLauncher, I can access everything quickly.

Look how beautifully movies are rendered using TCPMP. I feel like I’m sitting in the front row of the movie theater!

Photos are spectacular.

It comes with Adobe Reader built in for PDF viewing. The screen orientation can easily be changed with the included software.

Browser performance is outstanding. It comes with both Pocket Internet Explorer and Opera. Check out this photo from Pocketables:

The Advantage comes with VueFlow, a technology that senses the screen movement and scrolls the browser up or down with your movements.

Touchscreen

The complaint with many UMPCs is that even though they utilize touchscreens, the resolution is so high that it is difficult to read and the icons are so small it is hard to touch them with a finger. That is not the case with the Advantage. I installed RealVGA from XDA Developers so I can change the DPI settings. I can make it run at 96DPI, 128DPI or 192DPI. 96 yields tiny icons. I can fit many more on the screen, but everything is too small for my taste. I prefer the larger 192. With that I can use my finger for nearly everything I previously used my stylus. It works well when scrolling on a browser, opening software, and even using the software input panels.

Above: 92DPI

Above: 192DPI

Size

It fits in my pocket, but barely. With the included leather case and keyboard, it is 5.26" x 3.89" x 0.79". Any bigger and I couldn’t get it into my pocket. Fully loaded it weighs about 1 lb, so compared to a PDA it’s heavy, but it is lighter than nearly all UMPCs. Additionally, its size is perfect for in-car navigation. A UMPC would be far too large. I found my Axim x50v to be a nice size for navigation as well. But the Advantage’s screen really makes the TomTom software pop. As they say on America’s Next Top Model, "it’s fierce!"

Keyboard and Input

The Advantage comes with the normal SIP (software input panels) included in Windows Mobile. It also comes with the attached keyboard which is a bit awkward to use. It’s too small for traditional typing, and a wee bit large for thumb typing, but it’s still better than a SIP. Speaking of SIPs, I have found Zoomboard to be a phenomenal SIP replacement. Using it with TextMaker:

Using PhatPad to write notes:

Between Zoomboard, PhatPad and the included keyboard, I have input options that are better than most UMPCs.

Software

Ideally I would love to run a full blown OS, but again, you just can’t cram that much bloat and run it with a weak processor and little ram. In this arena Windows Mobile shines. It runs nearly all the same software I would run on a UMPC, but it does it faster and more effectively. TextMaker and PlanMaker, for example, perfectly fulfill my mobile office needs and run with no lag. In fact, I can’t think of any software that slows the proc down.

I use Act! Contact Management software on my desktop and it integrates perfectly with Pocket Informant.

And check out the calendar. The font on my old x50v was small but readable. On the Advantage it is nicely sized.

Multimedia

Some UMPC reviews mentioned that playing movies would cause stuttering playback. Not so on the Advantage. Movies play smoothly. Plus the built-in 8 GB hard drive provides plenty of storage. In addition, the unit has a miniSDHC slot for additional storage. It plays movies, music (it comes with a standard 3.5 mm jack), displays photos and has a decent camera that utilizes auto-focus, flash and records video clips with audio. It also comes with a built-in vga out slot for viewing on a larger screen.

Connectivity

Here are the bullet points:

Tri-band UMTS/HSDPA and quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE

Built-in GPS

Microsoft® Windows Mobile® 6 Standard with Direct Push Technology

TV or VGA Out lets you output screen contents to an external viewing device

Bluetooth® and Wi-Fi® (B and G)

Battery Life

Most UMPCs struggle to get past the two hour mark with their batteries. I was able to watch video, surf the net and use software apps for almost five hours with the 2200mAh battery.

Windows Mobile 6

Windows Mobile includes much software that is not the best in its class. We all know that Pocket Internet Explorer, Pocket Excel and Pocket Word are not full featured, to say the least. But the beauty of the OS is that it provides a framework for mobile computing that does not require intensive processing power or tons of ram. Furthermore, any software a user deems substandard can be replaced by a wealth of other software both free and pay. For example, I replaced my boring Today Screen with SBSH’s iLauncher, Pocket Word and Pocket Excel with SoftMaker’s TextMaker and PlanMaker, and Pocket Outlook with Pocket Informant, to name a few. The Advantage comes with the Opera Browser installed.

Some complain that Windows Mobile doesn’t have a true "close" button. When you click an X at the top right of a program it doesn’t actually close it. iLauncher has a utility built-in to take care of that, but so does the Advantage.

I’ve heard others complain that Windows Mobile requires use of a stylus. Well, so do UMPCs that utilize a touchscreen. But as I previously mentioned, using RealVGA set to 192dpi makes everything large enough to be finger friendly. I hardly ever use the stylus. But it would be wonderful to get rid of scroll bars and navigate a la the iPhone.

So My Point Is…

What UMPC device offers as many features as the Advantage? The Advantage lists for $899 - not cheap, but you can find better deals if you look. I picked mine up at CompUSA for $540 because they are going out of business. You can even find them for under $800 on Ebay. With few exceptions, UMPCs cost more, $800 - $2400, and offer less features, larger size, and poor performance. Let’s face it, neither Windows XP nor Vista were meant to be used with the low power processors, and especially in Vista’s case, less than 2 GB of ram. Yet these devices have very little ram, 256 MB in some cases, and low wattage, under-powered procs that neither deliver performance nor decent battery life. See UltraMobilePC’s test results of several UMPC procs.

"But it’s not a UMPC because it doesn’t run Windows!" Some consider the Nokia 810 Tablet a UMPC. How about the Asus Eee - it comes with Linux but is considered a UMPC?

The Advantage is the size of a small paperback, features a host of connectivity options, great battery life, and does everything a UMPC strives to do. The Advantage is my UMPC.

XPad4Laptop Review

2008-01-21T11:25:00.000-06:00

Hot!

Holy cow, my laptop gets mighty hot. Laptops don’t employ such effective cooling methods as desktops, thus the whole bottom acts as sort of a radiator, dissipating heat. According to their website, laptops can give off 130 degrees Fahrenheit of heat and more. That is hot. I’ve tried many solutions to block the heat, but none so effective as the Xpad4Laptop.

First Impressions and Specs

So what is this thing? My initial impression is of a thin, plastic coated, very light, board. According to the website it weighs just one pound, and measures 13" x 10.5" x .66". The bottom and the 4 legs of the "X" on the top face contain non-skid pads.

The Xpad accommodates laptops with screens measuring up to 17". It is a universal size. Again, it is so thin that after using it a couple times I don’t even notice it’s there anymore. It’s very portable as well. It easily fits into a laptop bag and doesn’t add noticeable heft.

The Technology

But how does it work? There are no fans, electrical or mechanical devices on the unit. You just put it under your laptop and you are set.

The legs of the "X" shape are raised slightly above the base of the unit, allowing airflow and cooling. Inside is a strong platform with insulative air pockets, and EVA insulation material at the bottom provides a third layer of insulation and acts as the non-skid surface. I don’t understand all the tech stuff. I just know that it works.

Results

While no solution completely blocks all the heat from contacting your legs, this Xpad has come amazingly close. Other solutions use up USB ports and utilize fans, which in itself creates heat and noise. But the Xpad’s passive heating technology just relies on a great design to do the job. The result, even when using a laptop for hours, is the same feeling as having a warm, comfortable blanket on your legs. And a warm blanket is far better than a burned lap.

Summary

I have found the Xpad to be a very effective solution. To put it simply, it works. It does it’s intended job without reminding me it’s there. It sits, unobtrusively, above my lap doing its job without asking for any kind of recognition. It’s kind of like the military’s "stealth" technology. I happily recommend it to all laptop users. At $29.95 it is a great solution at a reasonable price.

Pros

light and thin

portable

effective heat blocking

easy to use

doesn’t take up USB ports

quiet (no fans)

Cons

I would like to see a thinner design

Even though this is a very effective solution, it could be even better

The price, though reasonable, may be higher than some competitors

I rate this a 9/10. It is a fantastic product. Visit them at Xpad4Laptop

101 Dumbest Moments in Business 2007

2008-01-17T11:34:00.000-06:00

Fortune Magazine has made an absolutely hilarious list of the worst business decisions of 2007. I’m not going to reprint them all, but here are some of the highlights. Enjoy. (I threw in some of my own comments in blue)

1. China - Mattel recalls almost 20 million items made in China due to the use of lead paint and tiny magnets that can be swallowed by children. 844,000 Barbie accessories are also recalled.

Pet food makers recall 60 million cans of food laced with melamine. Steroids and growth hormones are traced back to 37 companies in China. There’s plenty more Chinese recalls, but you get the point.

13. Disneyland - They announce plans to close the "It’s a Small World" attraction to deepen the water channel after the boats get stuck under heavy passengers. Employees ask larger passengers to disembark - and compensate them with coupons for free food.

It really is the "happiest place on earth."

16. Microsoft’s PR Firm - While working on a background article for MS execs, Wired contributing editor Fred Vogelstein receives a 13 page article about himself, describing him as "tricky" and his stories as "sensational." The PR firm sent it inadvertently to the writer.

They should’ve used Outlook.

32. Jay-Z - Rapper Jay-Z, founder of the Rocawear clothing line, is taken to task by the Humane Society after it finds that the "faux fur" in jackets sold by his company is actually dog fur.

Word to your mother.

36. Best Buy - The state of Connecticut sues Best Buy for setting up in-store kiosks set to a website that looks identical to bestbuy.com but lists higher prices than those they would actually find online.

That’s it! I’ve had it. I’m going to shop at Circuit City instead.

46. Johnson and Johnson - Johnson & Johnson sues the American Red Cross for infringement of its trademarked red cross.

"Those greedy bastards at the Red Cross are NOT going to get away with this. Johnson!"

"Yes, Johnson."

"Sue them!"

47. John Mackey of Whole Foods - "I like Mackey’s haircut. I think he looks cute." — Whole Foods CEO John Mackey, posting under the screen name Rahodeb, on a Yahoo Finance stock forum. The Federal Trade Commission reveals that Mackey authored this and numerous other posts over an eight-year period, hyping his company and himself while trashing the competitor he hoped to acquire, Wild Oats.

But he looks so down to earth!

51. Apple -

One, two, three, four, we’ll sue you if you send us more

Nine-year-old Shea O’Gorman sends a letter to Apple CEO Steve Jobs suggesting ideas for improving her beloved iPod Nano, including adding onscreen lyrics so people can sing along. She gets back a letter from Apple’s legal counsel stating that the company doesn’t accept unsolicited ideas and telling her not to send in any more suggestions.

I have the punch line right here. "Apple then announces a new iPod Nano, featuring onscreen lyrics so people can sing along."

54. Research in Motion - BlackBerry users are forced to go cold turkey when maker Research in Motion’s servers go down for the better part of a day. "I felt like my left arm had been amputated," says one. Six months later a number of prominent addicts - including venture capitalist Fred Wilson and Dilbert cartoonist Scott Adams - admit to experiencing phantom incoming-message vibrations even when not wearing their devices.

68. Thomas the Tank Engine - Illinois-based RC2 Corp., maker of Thomas the Tank Engine toys, recalls 1.5 million of the wooden trains because of excessive levels of lead in their paint (see Mattel). Consumers who return the tainted toys are then sent free boxcars, some of which are recalled three months later for the same reason.

"Outraged customers are given tickets to Disneyworld and free food coupons."

70. Circuit City - In a cost-cutting move, Circuit City lays off all sales associates paid 51 cents or more per hour above an "established pay range" - essentially firing 3,400 of its top performers in one fell swoop. Over the next eight months Circuit City’s share price drops by almost 70%.

"That’s it! I’ve had it. I’m switching to Best Buy. I mean, uh, I’m switching to Comp USA!"

74. Google - As thousands of eBay’s biggest sellers gather in Boston for a convention sponsored by the auction site, Google invites them to a party promoting Google Checkout, a payment system that competes with eBay’s PayPal. In response eBay, the single largest buyer of search ads on Google, "tests" a shift of its marketing dollars, pulling all its U.S. ads from the search engine for more than a week. Google cancels its party.

Later that month Google hosts a party for it’s largest users. Ebay offers to help the attendees search for airline tickets on their on their website.

76. Jessica Simpson - Jessica Simpson stars in commercials for Pizza Hut’s Cheesy Bites pizza, then tells Elle magazine that she’s allergic to wheat … and tomatoes … and cheese.

She later admits that she does like sausage, then heads off to Mexico with quarterback boyfriend Tony Romo, who subsequently loses the big playoff game. He says, "We partied to hard. Heck I partied like a Rock Star. But that’s not why we lost."

82. One Laptop Per Child - Nigerian schoolchildren receive $200 computers under the U.N. One Laptop Per Child program and quickly learn a few things nobody expected - such as how to find adult websites and how to store their favorite images on the computers’ hard drives. Program leaders say future laptops will be fitted with filters.

I believe they also started emailing copies of the Nigerian Scam, in which a wealthy foreigner needs help moving millions of dollars from his homeland, promises a hefty percentage of this fortune as a reward for assisting him.

84. Southwest Airlines - A Southwest Airlines gate agent tells Kyla Ebbert - a 23-year-old college student and Hooters waitress wearing a denim miniskirt, high-heeled sandals, and a sweater over a tank top - that she’s dressed too provocatively to be allowed on a flight from San Diego to Tucson. Though the agent ultimately relents and lets her onboard, an indignant Ebbert goes public, appearing on the Today show. Southwest takes a massive publicity hit; Ebbert is hired by Richard Branson to promote rival low-cost carrier Virgin America and by Playboy to pose for a pictorial.

Isn’t Southwest the same company on the show, Airline, where customers are consistently mistreated, kicked off flights, face delays and are abused by the staff? Yeah, I thought so.

90. Southwest Airlines, Part 2 - A man boarding a Southwest Airlines flight in Ohio is ordered to change his T-shirt, which depicts a fictional fishing shop with the words MASTER BAITER. The airline is again forced to apologize.

I’m sorry, was this Southwest Airlines or are Joan Rivers and her daughter Melissa critiquing the worst dressed passengers now, since the Oscars might be cancelled due to a writer’s strike?

98. Intel - To promote the speed of its Core 2 Duo Processor, Intel releases a print ad featuring six bare-shouldered black sprinters crouched in their starting positions beneath a white guy dressed for the office. "We made a bad mistake," says Don MacDonald, the company’s director of global marketing. "I know why and how, but that doesn’t make it better."

Hold on please, Kelly Tilghman is coming to the phone to explain the faux pas. She’ll be right with you. While you’re waiting, please enjoy the music. "Swing low, sweet chariot…"

Please feel free to add your own.

We're Moving On Up...

2007-10-15T16:24:00.000-05:00

We have moved past NickJr.com to become the #6 most viewed website at my house. As such, we are Movin' on Up!

Well we're movin on up,To the east side.To a deluxe apartment in the sky.Movin on upTo the east side.We finally got a piece of the pie.

We have a posh, new address.

Fish don't fry in the kitchen;Beans don't burn on the grill.Took a whole lotta tryin'Just to get up that hill.Now we're up in the big leaguesGettin' our turn at bat.As long as we live, it's you and me babyThere ain't nothin wrong with that.

We'll have a more professional look (hear that kids), and an easier address to remember.

Well we're movin on up,To the east side.To a deluxe apartment in the sky.Movin on upTo the east side.We finally got a piece of the pie.

Come visit me at my new address:

SteveLaser.com

Bluetooth for Blue-Hairs

2007-10-13T14:53:00.000-05:00

My dad is 69 years old and a few months ago he saw me wearing my bluetooth headset. He says, "I can't stand those things. You never know who someone is talking to. They're for rude people."

I'm like, "Dad, first, it's the law in Chicago that you have to drive hands free, and second, these things are awesome, you should try one."

But he's old school, I mean he has an email account but he barely knows how to use it. He has me reply for him on important business matters. There is no way he's doing bluetooth. I can't believe he even has a computer!

So imagine my surprise when he shows up at my home for my daughter's 7th birthday a few days ago with a bluetooth headset and a brand new Motorola Razr that was about 1 mm thick! "Hey dad, are you getting a Corvette, too!"

Sure enough, he didn't know how to use it, let alone pair it. I paired it for him right away and next thing you know, he was loving his new toy. "I should've gotten one of these a long time ago, why didn't you tell me about them?"

"Dad, you were making fun of me for wearing it, don't you remember?"

"What are you talking about? I don't make fun of you."

Aaahhhhhhh. Selective memory.

Well, now that the people with blue hair have bluetooth, it's official. Bluetooth has permeated our society completely. Next.

What is Your Motive?

2007-10-12T20:34:00.000-05:00

Leon is a friend of mine. And Leon asks me, "What is your motive for writin' homey? You gonna be a Microsoft MVP? You gonna be a Mobius? You gonna get you some awards, boy?"

My ladder goes no higher Leon. I just like to write. This blog is free and anyone can set one up.

"But y'all write for Aximsite and MobilitySite too. Whaddayawant, a medal?"

It's cool to have an audience. Although, I think my site was voted #7 in my own household, behind Disney.com, Webkinz.com, NickJr.com, and several others. But who's counting?

"You is makin' the big cash at those big fancy sites now, so you gonna stop writin' here for the small folk. I knows peeps like you."

Luckily I make a living at my real job so that I can have a fun hobby of writing. I appreciate the people like Chris of Aximsite who give people a chance to write, express their views and try new products. That's some cool stuff. But at the end of the day, I have to pay my bills with my real job. Leon, can you spot me a C-note until next week?

"Do you take checks? Right, right, I'm just kiddin' around! I ain't got no checks! But seriously, you expect me to believe you writin' out of the goodness of your heart?"

No. I get alot out of it. It's purely selfish. When I write, it's just me and a blank computer screen. I'm not thinking about anyone else. I'm not thinking about who I write for, what website it's going on, or what benefit the site owner is getting; I'm just creating. And if it works for the site owner and me, then everyone is happy. Either way, I'm just chillaxin'.

Birdsoft's All in Texas Hold 'em

2007-10-11T19:46:00.000-05:00

Birdsoft All in Texas Hold 'Em v 2.751

http://www.birdsoft.biz/
Available from the Birdsoft Website for $16.95

It takes a minute to learn and a lifetime to master

Birdsoft’s All In Texas Hold ‘Em is just like the real thing.

I've battled against the best players for hours and finally I'm heads up for the championship with my nemesis, Larry. At one point I had a two to one chip lead, but he battled back with some lucky draws, and now he has a slight chip lead. The dealer just dealt me a pair of black queens. Larry checks. I make no facial expression as I raise three times the blind, or $450. I want to put all my chips in now, but I don't want to scare Larry off the pot.

But Larry reraises me! He bets another $450. I think he has Ace King. I just call and we see a flop. The dealer throws out ACE OF DIAMONDS, SEVEN OF DIAMONDS AND QUEEN OF CLUBS. Bingo! Three of a kind for me! I, again, make no facial expression (even though I'm playing against a pocket pc!) and check, hoping to trap my opponent. I think Larry hit his Ace and thinks he has me beat. Sure enough, Larry bets big, $1500. I make a face like, "why so much Larry?" Then I hem and haw like Gus Hansen, the poker pro, and rub my head. I have him beat. The trick is to get all my money into the pot to maximize my winnings…

Setup
Hold ‘Em is easy to install. I put it onto the SD card of my Axim x50v. There are versions for the desktop, palm and smartphone as well. It is vga compatible, works great in landscape or portrait mode, is customizable and has many game options.

This is the opening screen. The latest version is 2.751. You can choose settings, play, help or exit.

This is the setup screen.

Setup allows you to choose the blinds, automatic hints, which I’ll show you later, clock and battery which show up at the top right corner and are crucial for those of you who play too much poker! Muck Unchallenged Hands means that you will not see the losing hands of players who fold. I like to see those hands, even though you won’t see them in a real game, so I left that one unchecked.

The other settings, like table and player settings, have to do with color and graphics and are a matter of personal preference. I choose not to show the characters, just to show their names. You can experiment once you get the game.

The Game
Hold ‘Em gives you a choice of playing tournaments, “ring” games, and single table games. Tournaments are far more exciting and involve several tables, many players, and five different tournament types. The types are $1500 limit, $500 no limit, $750 pot limit, $1000 no limit and $3000 no limit. The trick is, you must have enough career earnings to pay the entrance fee to get into the tournament. That is why, when you’re a rookie, ring games can be valuable.

This is the main screen. You can see I’ve earned over $1,000,000. I play a lot. It’s easy to get addicted. Thousands of people play online poker, millions watch on tv, and tons play in home games. This game keeps me in practice.

The rules are simple. Each player receives two cards. To ensure action on every hand, two players after the dealer are forced to bet – the first player after the dealer makes a half bet, the second makes a full bet. These are called the small blind and big blind because they are betting blind. They are betting before they see their cards. After everyone gets 2 cards they either bet, raise or fold.

Three cards are dealt into the middle and everyone who’s left bets, raises or folds. One more card is dealt into the middle and everyone bets raises or folds. Then a final, 5th card is dealt into the middle and everyone bets, raises or folds.

You make your best 5 card poker hand with your 2 cards and the 5 cards in the middle. Very simple.

This is a game in progress. Notice at the top right the time, and a plug where the battery indicator would be. At the bottom right is a question mark. That will give you a hint if you press it:

It says this is not a good hand in this situation, so I fold. At the top left are the small and big blinds, $10 and $20. Underneath that is a 10, meaning we’ll play 10 hands at that size blind, and we’re on the 3rd hand.

Pocket Kings! My hand is so hot it’s on fire. That’s another hint. But look what happens when I go all in:
I lose to a worse hand that gets 2 pair! That’s poker. Ouch!

I announce a raise and Larry lifts his eyebrows and just nods ok. I sit back and consider how much, wondering what to do with the prize money. If I go all in, which is another $8500, Larry will fold, so I just raise $4000 because Larry is "pot committed". Larry then goes all in and I call before he gets his chips in the middle. I'm about to start celebrating when he flips over his cards...KING OF DIAMONDS, TEN OF DIAMONDS

He’s got four to the flush. 4th Street brings a TWO of SPADES and I nearly faint from relief. Until the river. The dealer flips over a SIX OF DIAMONDS and I lose to a flush. Ouch.

Artificial Intelligence
It's hard not to get personally involved against your opponents, though they are only the product of Birdsoft's Artificial Intelligence. It bluffs, it makes crazy calls and gets lucky draws, and sometimes it's players get "steamed" and play completely out of control. If you are a good player you'll notice if your computer opponent is playing "tight", "normal" or "loose". But no matter how well you play, you can only go in with your best hand and either outplay your opponent or outdraw them. Are you good enough to take on Birdsoft's AI? I thought I was. This is a very difficult and unpredictable AI. It takes patience, skill and and quite a bit of risk-taking to defeat it. I've had some of my best playing poker friends try it, and they crashed and burned quickly. There is no formula for winning at this game because every hand is different. If you've played other handheld games where you've discovered a strategy to beat the game, you won't find one here. Every game is different, and that's what makes All in Texas Hold 'Em so wonderful and challenging.

Support
This is one of the best supported games you’ll ever play. They have their own forums for all their products! Not only can you ask their company support for help, you can also go to their community as well: http://www.birdsoft.biz/forums/.

3 ideas to make it better:
1. bigger buttons for one handed play
2. online game playing to play against live competitors
3. Customizable game play to allow me to set up my own timer, player types (aggressive, passive etc) and blinds so I can mimick my home game.
This is a great game. What makes it great is that it’s different every time I play it. The cards are random, the play is exciting, and success requires concentration. The support is excellent. There have been several free upgrades since I have bought it. The game software works well and is intelligently designed. I rate it 98 Laser Beams out of 100.

Pimp Your Ride

2007-10-10T21:21:00.000-05:00

The best thing about having your own site is that you can define what you think is "mobile". Well, I travel alot. I compute in my car, communicate in it, and sort of live out of it, so I want to be comfortable in it. That means I must have great tuneage. But I'm not going to spend $1000 on a sound system when I'm getting rid of the car in 1 or 2 years, plus I don't want to give up any of my car's functionality, like the steering wheel radio controls.

So, here's my thoughts. I want to get the most bang for the buck, have the ability to play my mp3 player by plugging it directly into the stereo (using the FM band sucks), and I don't want to change the head unit b/c I will lose functionality. No problem.

An easy way to do this, if you like to hook up your own equipment, is to go to http://www.crutchfield.com/. They have great online service, including online chats, to help you pick the equipment you need. When you pick the equipment, they give you instructions specific to your make and model. That's pretty cool.

I'm sort of adventureous, but I've never in my life installed a car stereo. So I'm not sure what possessed me to go out and buy 2 sets of speakers, but I did. I spent $100 on front and rear Sony Xplod speakers. I figured they couldn't be that hard to install, and they had to sound better than the stock speakers.

There was virtually no information online on how to do this for my particular car, so I was on my own. It took me 1.5 hours to figure out that I had to remove my entire front door panel. It came away quite easily with 2 screws after I figured out what I was doing. The second door came off in 8 minutes. The rear speakers took another hour. It was really easy. The sound improvement was magical. You won't mistake it for a live symphony, but it beats the heck out of the factory speakers.

As I said, I have steering wheel radio controls. I can control the band, volume, mute, change stations, control the cd and a few other things with the controls. I don't want to give that up. I consulted with a few companies about how I could hook up my mp3 player directly to my stereo, but I received several different answers. Circuit City, for example, told me I would lose the steering wheel radio controls. Crutchfield told me, correctly, that I could keep them functional, and that I could purchase $250 worth of parts including a head unit. Not a bad deal, really. But there is no way I want to mess with all the wiring involved. I'm no installer.

The dealership where I bought my car offered the best solution. A direct connect to the existing head unit for $180. I'm in. The truth is I don't listen much to FM radio anyway. And any head unit will play cds and mp3s just fine.

So for a grand total of $280 I done PIMPED MY RIDE! Giddyup. Remember, the Sansa View is coming soon. Now my ride is ready...

Let's Get Rolling...

2007-10-09T19:38:00.000-05:00

This is my first post on my own blog. Here's what you won't get from me; news. There are plenty of great news sites. I love reading them. Everyday I browse Engadget, MobilitySite, Gizmodo and plenty of others. Great stuff. The world does not need one more news site.

But you will get some reviews and opinions. So what are we waiting for?

Before you run out and buy the brand new, beautiful, iPod Nano, wait. Yes, the Nano is one Phat, fatty hot device. I love the looks, features, size and the fact that it's an iPod. Hey, I'm no hater. Business is business, fun is fun, and there is nothing wrong with being an iPod fan boy. And boy, is there some iPod backlash going on?!

So why am I telling you to wait? Now that Apple has introduced a whole new line of products, all their competitors have scrambled to catch up. Apple owns 70% of the market. And just when their products were getting stale, they reinvented them in a bold, beautiful way. Forget about the criticism you may hear folks. The fact is that Apple's products are all over the news. They are red hot. They are truly special. Apple has advanced them to a new level. So to compete, a rival must not only match the features, they must beat the price, overcome the status that comes with owning an iPod or offer something far more compelling than an iPod.

I believe that Sandisk is about to do that with their upcoming View. The 8 GB (flash memory)iPod Nano offers a tiny form factor, a 2" diagonal screen to watch movies, and their famous ease of use. The 8 GB iPod sells for $199. Nice. But Sandisk, makers of flash memory, have a nice response in the View. The View comes in an 8 GB ($149) and 16 GB ($199) model. The 16GB model offers double the memory for the same price. It sports a 2.4" screen to Nano's 2" screen. It is slightly taller than the iPod, but it plays many different types of media files, then bests iPod by offering FM radio, a built in microphone, and a microSD slot. Nicer.

I ordered one from Amazon.com and should get it in late October or early November. Keep an eye out as I will review it at Aximsite. This should be exciting.