Two Good Book Sites

I love to read books, as is evidenced by the number of shelves I have just filled with books. In fact, it may be time for me to get rid of some. But if books are a passion, here are two sites you might find of value.

First is GoodReads.com. If you have always yearned to be a book reviewer, this is your place. At GoodReads, you can rate your reads and write reviews about all the books you have read or are currently reading. And you can follow reviews of people you know or even some strangers whose book tastes are similar to yours. There are lots of good book reviews to read and you can choose who you want to follow. I have just started doing a few reviews and plan to continue when I can find more time. Writing two blogs and traveling makes it a little more difficult, but I am not complaining. Membership is, of course, free.

The second site is BookMooch.com. Quite simply put, this site lets people trade their used books for the only cost of postage. If your book shelves are overflowing, this might be a good way to get rid of some while getting new reads for very little cost. Membership is free. Every time you give someone a book, you earn a point and can get any book you want from anyone else at BookMooch. And remember, you can get a lower postage charge when sending books. Currently, the site has 70,000 members with an inventory of 1/2 million books. You might find something of interest there.

Here is a bonus link for you...the Morton Grove Public Library (wherever that is) has put together a very large list of Web sites for book lovers. It's worth a look.

Mastering your Bookmarks with Firefox 3

I read an interesting article today that I thought I would pass along. It is entitled "Five Ways to Master Bookmarks in Firefox 3" and is on the CNET Web site. I recommend you read it if you use Firefox, and maybe even if you don't as you might find yourself changing browsers. There are some things in the article that I was not aware of. Did you know, for instance that you can click on the star at the far right of the address bar to create an instant bookmark? Pretty cool.

By the way, Mozilla's attempt to set a new Guinness record for the most downloads in a 24 hour period produced almost 8.5 million downloads of the new browser on the day of its release a week ago. It is a record, mainly because there was no record in that category before. So Mozilla set the bar.

And speaking of new browsers, Opera is now out with their latest version, 9.5. It is a very good browser and would be my choice if there wasn't a Firefox. I like many if its features. Both browsers are definitely better than Microsoft's Internet Explorer, and far more secure. Check out the latest version at www.opera.com.

FYI - new blogs will be fewer in number for a while as I have started the Art Show Season. But, as always, I will try. My first show was a tremendous success, which surprised me given the state of our economy and gas prices.

The Race is On

OK...Today is the big day. Mozilla is trying to set the all time record for most downloads in a 24 hour period. Of course, it is all about downloading the brand new, now official, Firefox 3.0. They were supposed to start at 10:00 AM PDT, but there were technical difficulties. The problems were fixed and the site came on-line at 11:15. So you have until 11:15 tomorrow morning to be a part of the record...and of course, get their great new release.

For no good reason, even though the version of Firefox I have is the same as the official release, I went ahead and did it anyway. If you have waited to download Firefox's new release, today is a good day to do it and be a part of the record (maybe).

To download Firefox 3, go to:

http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/?from=getfirefox

To check the counter too see how many downloads have occurred go to:

http://downloadcounter.sj.mozilla.com/

As I write these words, the count is around 1.6 million (including me) which is about 8,000 downloads per minute.

Why do I feel so silly?

USB Sound Cards

Recently, I wrote a blog about what I don't know about audio technology. Well, I am learning more all the time. One of the most interesting lessons I learned was about connecting my home desktop computer to my new, improved music system. At first, it seemed very straight forward...all I had to do was connect a long cable from my computer's sound card to an input on my receiver. Of course, you can do that, but you may be in for a nasty shock...it probably won't sound very good. I know because I tried it.

I started doing some research on the Net and quickly found out that if you really wanted to make this connection, you need a better sound card...specifically a USB sound card. Internal sound cards are just not very good for getting music out of your computer into your music system. More research on revealed the USB sound cards run from about $25 to $200. The higher the price, the better the sound...supposedly. Interesting enough, these USB sound cards can also yield simulated five channels of sound to your sound system or to any pair of headphones. To be honest, I haven't really checked out that capability yet as I was more interested in just getting two channels to my music system and letting it turn it into 5.1 channels, if I want it.

Anyway, I opted for the lower priced option as I really wanted to see if it did work and would make a difference. I purchased a Turtle Beach Audio Advantage USB sound card from NewEgg.com for around $25. When it arrived, I found that the device was about the same size as a USB thumb drive. I installed the software, which was very straight forward. The manual recommended that you first plug in headphones to make sure it works well. So I did. WOW, what a huge difference in sound quality. It just blew me away how much difference there was between my internal sound card and my new USB sound card using headphones. Next, I plugged in my computer speakers and they sounded much better also.

The reason a USB audio card is so better has to do with something referred to as DAC (Digital to Analog Conversion). Remember, the computer, an iPod, a CD player, and DVD player are all playing material recorded digitally. Your ears (as well as your speakers) are analog. There has to be a conversion done someplace in the loop. DVD and CD players have their own built-in DAC. An iPod also has a DAC, but it is nowhere near as good as a DAC in a CD player. This is one reason why I wanted to output my music from the computer (using iTunes) rather than my iPod. USB sound cards provide this higher quality DAC. Supposedly, the higher the price, the better the DAC.

After the headphones test, I plugged a connecting cable to the music system receiver. It sounded just great. My new receiver also has an enhancer setting to improve the sound of compressed music, like MP3's, FM radio stations, and even music stations coming from your cable or satellite company. It does make a difference you can hear. Besides the 6,000+ "tunes" I have inside iTunes, I can also play Internet-based radio stations, all of which can now be directly outputted to the receiver and my high quality speakers.

For your info, when you plug your USB sound card into your computer, it bypasses your internal sound card, so you may be "forced" to plug your computer speakers into the new sound card. When you unplug your USB sound card, the old sound card kicks back in.

The bottom line is that the audio output from your computer sounds much better with a USB sound card. In fact, even if you don't connect your computer to your music system, a USB sound card is a good investment. You definitely should consider one for your laptop.

How to Get Rid of Worthless Bookmarks

If you are like me, you constantly explore the Internet looking for various subjects of interest. When you find them, you probably bookmark them, hopefully to return to them in the future. How many times do you never go back? Or how many times do you bookmark the same site more than once? And, then, of course, when all your bookmarks start piling up, do you go through and trim down your list and then organize them into folders?

Well, I do organize them pretty well and I do occasionally go in and clean them up. And, of course, using Firefox with Foxmarks allows me to keep all my bookmarks synched on all my computers. But, still, I still have accumulated lots of bookmarks over time and have very little time to go through and see how many of them are still good.

I just found of free program that will automatically check your bookmarks to see how many of them are dead (sites not there anymore) and separately check for duplicate entries. It is called AM-Deadlink, V3.2. The good news is that it works with not only Firefox, but with also Internet Explorer and Opera. It runs as a separate program, not inside a browser. The program works very quickly, although I am sure the speed depends or your Internet connection as the program goes through and checks each link separately.

After it is finished you will see the results displayed on your screen. You can then click a button, and the results are reorganized to show you the dead links at the top...at which point you can start deleting them. If you are not sure about a link, you can click on it and the link opens at the bottom of the screen to show you what your browser would see if you had it open. It is very handy not having to leave the program to check on these links. Deleting the dead links is then quit easy.

After this, you can click on another button and all your duplicate book marks are displayed. Again deletions of duplicates is quite easy. When you are done, you save your work. Nothing could be easier and it is definitely a time saver.

You can download AM-Deadlink at the Download.com web site.

This Just In - The New Apple iPhone

This afternoon, Steve Jobs gave his long-awaited speech at the Apple World Wide Developer's Conference. It was anticipated that he would announce an all-new cheaper iPhone....and that is exactly what he did. Here is a quick look at the new iPhone 3G features.

• Faster, 3G data networking. One demo took 59 seconds on the old EDGE network, 21 seconds on the iPhone 3G, compared to 17 seconds on WiFi. Apple claims it’s 26% faster than competing models from Nokia and Treo.
• Longer battery life. 300 hours standby, 10 hours 2G talk, 5 hours 3G talk, 5-6 hours browsing, 7 hours video, 24 hours audio.
• Better audio. No details were available on this.
• Integrated GPS, including live GPS tracking.

The iPhone will be available July 11th in 22 countries. The 8GB model will be $199 (black only), and the 16GB model will be $299 (black or white), with a new 2-year rate plan (sold separately).

Podcasts - Finding the Best Ones

Sometimes if you see me around town, you may notice a pair of headphones attached to my ears. People probably think to themselves that a man of my years should not be trying to act like a teenager listening to his favorite hip-hop music. Well, if you do see me with my headphones on, I am more-than-likely listening to a podcast on a subject that interests me.

As you might guess, my favorite podcasts center around either technology or photography. However, if you see me laughing out loud, you know that I am listening to "Car Talk" from NPR. Those two guys really are funny. Anyway, I found that podcasts are a great way to fill in my "spare time" when I am not writing a blog, working on photographs or doing some other work that requires my complete attention (and silence).

Ever since I purchased my iPod Classic a few months ago, I realized podcasts are a great way to spend a lot of my free time...learning more about the subjects that interest me. I originally bought my iPod for music, and I still use it for that, but podcasts are becoming more predominate use of my time. When I go for my daily walk, I usually now listen to a podcast rather than old time rock and roll. Frankly, podcasts can be more interesting than music, and since I really hate to exercise, they really do make the time go faster. It is similar to using Books-on-Tape when driving long distances on roads you have been on many times. The time and miles go much faster. The distinction is that audio books or music are mostly for entertainment...podcasts are for learning.

When I purchased my iPod, I also installed Apple's free music organizing program, iTunes, on my computer. Besides organizing one's music, it can also be used for videos, photographs, Internet radio channels (tons of those), and, of course, podcasts. What is even more useful is that when you find a good podcast, they usually have a link where you can subscribe for free using the Apple's iTunes Store. You click on it and iTunes will automatically download your chosen podcasts as they are released. Of course, when you plug your iPod into the computer, iTunes will sync with your iPod automatically and load the new podcast (and erase those that are no longer wanted) onto your device.

So, with all this in mind, here are some interesting places to go to read about and subscribe to podcasts, either to listen on your computer or portable music player.

CNet Podcast Central - A complete list of their large assortment of technology podcasts. Many are interesting, my favorite right now being "The Real Deal." But I have not sampled them all.

TWit TV - This is the home of several great technology-based podcasts (and now some video podcasts) by Leo LaPorte. If you ever watched Tech TV's Call for Help or other shows, you will remember Leo as he is an engaging personality who really knows his stuff. Most of his shows feature other knowledgeable folks from the world of tech. My favorites are The Tech Guy, This Week in Technology (TWit), and Windows Weekly.

NPR Podcasts - If you want interesting subject matter done by knowledgeable people on a wide variety of subjects, head over to the National Public Radio Podcast Directory. I've never counted the number of podcasts that they offer, but it is a very large number. This is where I get my Car Talk fix.

Podcast Alley - I am fairly new to this site, but they list over 41,000 different podcasts. With so many, there is probably a ton of not-so-interesting podcasts, but it is worth a look. I find their subject listings to be rather limiting.

Podcast Search - Uses Google to find podcasts by subject. It did a nice job on a couple of my searches.

Yahoo Podcast Search - This used to be a great place to look for podcast by subject matter, but now they list a lot of other audio material when you do a search, so you may have to cull through a lot of garbage to find what you are looking for. It's too bad.

Tips from the Top Floor - One of the first photography podcasts, mostly aimed at amateur photographers. Chris Marquardt knows his stuff and is a great guide for the non-professional.

Photography Podcast - Produced in Montreal, this show is sometimes a little more in-depth and advanced than Tips from the Top Floor, but definitely worth a listen if you like photography

With all this information, you should find some podcasts that might be very useful for whatever interests you. Give podcasts a listen in your free moments.

Free Program Checks Your Software for Security Holes

Secunia is a major player in the security business. One of their important functions, besides looking for new viruses and spyware, is to look for security vulnerabilities in software products. These are places where a potential hacker can get into your computer and take over without your knowledge. They are continually finding new "holes" and reporting them, forcing software companies to issue revisions for their users.

Of course, they keep a complete database on all these vulnerabilities. With that in mind, the company decided to use their treasure house of information to help personal computer users keep up-to-date with these software issues. They created a software called "Secunia PSI" that will scan your computer looking for unpatched software with vulnerabilities. Currently their database has over 44 million software programs that they track. After a scan, it will issue a report not only telling you what unpatched software you might have, but also providing links to the web where the fixes are available for download.

I downloaded the program recently on my laptop to give it a try. It took about 15 minutes to do a scan (the times for your computer will vary depending on how much software is on your computer). When it was done, I got a list of 10 software vulnerabilities. The first one on the list showed that there was no fix available. It was a program I used for a specific project sometime ago and had never deleted. I deleted it. The other nine on the list all had links to the fixes. I duly started the process of upgrading my vulnerable software and except for one, it all went smooth. The good news was that you don't have to download the upgrades, then leave Secunia PSI to do the fixes. Just click on "Run" rather than "Save" and the upgrades are completed.

The one I am having a problem with is Java. It won't apply a fix for some reason, but that is not Secunia's fault. I am continuing to try and figure out why. As I said, the other fixes all went smoothly. Some fixes are quicker than others. For instance, it reported that OpenOffice needed a patch. When I clicked on the fix, it downloaded the latest version of the program which is very large. Although it took time, the fix was done.

I think Secunia has provided a terrific service for computer users. I strongly suggest you download it and let it help you make your computer even more secure. You can read more about it and download it for free at the Secunia PSI Web site.

Quick Update on the New Firefox

I don't mean to sound like a walking ad for Firefox, but this new version is a good one. And since we all use browsers so much in our daily lives, a good one is important. Today, Mozilla released Firefox 3.0 Release Candidate 2. From everything I have read, this is the final version as the final code was locked in last week. The official version is probably about 10 days off. But you can feel safe downloading this one now. I heard an interview on a tech podcast with four big names in the biz and they all said download it now. One well known writer said this new version will finally get him away from Internet Explorer once and for all.

Also today, one of the last holdouts for upgrading their add-on's, MacAfee Site Adviser, released their new version for Firefox 3. For me, that only leaves Tabs Mix Plus and AVG Safe Search as the last two holdouts for add-on's...but they are important ones, never-the-less. By the way, if you install Version 3, all your add-on's will be upgraded automatically. If they won't work in V.3, you will be told as much, however when a version is released, you are automatically notified. That is how I found out about MacAfee.

By the way, ComputerWorld is reporting that Firefox is on pace to hit the 20% market-share mark next month. Not bad considering Internet Explorer once owned 96% of the market. Why is Firefox on the rise? Simple...it works better, has better security, better performance, more functionality, and is more customizable, thanks to add-on's.

OK...I'm off my soapbox now.

What I Don't Know About Audio Technology

I have not upgraded my music system in a long time. Oh, I've added DVD players, new CD players, even a separate audio amplifier system for center and rear channels. But, the heart of my system, my Nakamichi stereo receiver, is 20 years old and my speakers are 18 years old. And there are several new audio and video technologies that my system can't handle well. So, as much as I love my Nakamichi, I decided to do some upgrades.

1. First I decided to get a new 5.1 channel receiver and eventually purchased a new Yamaha 5.1 receiver with 105 Watts of Power. One of the big features I like about it was the ability to restore the sounds of compressed music (MP3's and satellite radio) back to its non-compressed state. And since I am downsizing and put all my music into MP3 format on my iPod and computer, this was a big deal for me.
2. Then, I decided to buy an all-in-one CD/DVD player that could also play my SACD (Super Audio) CD's and my MP3 CD'S. For that, I found a Denon player that I bought at a fabulous price.
3. I was going to buy new speakers. I have a pair of Celestion SL-12 speakers that sold new 18 years ago for $1,700. I was in Costco recently and heard a $1,000 system that just sounded horrible compared with mine. After doing some Internet research, I discovered that there is probably nothing better on the market today than my current speakers (at that price) and I decided to keep them. I read several posts from people who wish they still had theirs.
4. After deciding that, I bought a new Celestion center channel speaker at a great price that matches my front speakers and it made a world of difference over the the previous center speaker I was using.

So, I thought I had everything figured out and was excited yesterday when my new receiver and DVD player showed up at my front door. I took out the old components, cleaned up the cabinet, put the new components in their respective places. Of course, the whole system required a major rewiring job. So I duly unplugged and marked my cables.

At this point, I was dying to hear my new system in action...so I plugged the DVD/CD player in and turned them on. Nothing. No sound, no TV picture, no nothing. At least it didn't explode. After trying and trying and failing, I did something I seldom do, but was desperate. I got out the manuals. There I discovered a whole new world of adventure. I learned about optical fiber optic cables and digital coaxial audio connectors. What? In order to make things work, I needed a couple of these cables so I went and bought them. After about 5 hours into this project, I have some limited video and the audio is getting better. But, there is still a long way to go. I definitely have to keep reading the manual.

I just can't figure out all the things that the receiver does. In the old days, there was a button or switch for everything. Now, these new receivers do so much that you have to go through a whole series of steps to tell it to do one thing. And my new Yamaha is not alone in this. They all do it. They have so many capabilities that creating individual buttons is impossible. So I will keep plugging away, reading the manual and pushing buttons. My only problem will be remembering everything I do correctly as my own internal memory systems are not as strong as they used to be. But I am determined to emerge triumphant.

The bad news is I haven't even tried to connect my computer or iPod to it yet. Perseverance is the key.

An Inside Look at Google

I was fascinated by an article posted this week on CNet and Webware where Google gave a inside look at how their data centers work. This is a rare thing for this giant search engine company, but they did it at the Google I/O Conference held in San Francisco.

If you don't want to read the entire article (and some of the other articles linked in the story), here are some of the highlights that caught my eye:

So, how many servers does Google have? Well Google would not exactly spell that one out, but a little simple math reveals that they have well over 200,000 individual computers acting as servers. The company has 36 data centers located around the world. Each center has 150 server racks and each rack holds 40 computers.

Even Google admits that it might be an overkill, but they base their need on the assumption that every computer is expendable...in other words, they assume that so many computers are going to fail at any one time. To quote from the article:

"In each cluster's first year, it's typical that 1,000 individual machine failures will occur; thousands of hard drive failures will occur; one power distribution unit will fail, bringing down 500 to 1,000 machines for about 6 hours; 20 racks will fail, each time causing 40 to 80 machines to vanish from the network; 5 racks will "go wonky," with half their network packets missing in action; and the cluster will have to be rewired once, affecting 5 percent of the machines at any given moment over a 2-day span, Dean said. And there's about a 50 percent chance that the cluster will overheat, taking down most of the servers in less than 5 minutes and taking 1 to 2 days to recover.

So how many computers would you guess are involved every time you do a Google search? Would you believe 700-1,000? Remember that every time you do a search.

There is a lot more to this article and I recommend you give it a read.

Update on Firefox 3 - I went ahead and installed Firefox V3 RL1 on my laptop to see if it is as good as I am hearing...It is! It loads faster and runs noticeably faster than V.2. Am just waiting for a couple more crucial add-on's such as MacAfee Site advisor and AVG 8 to upgrade for Firefox 3.