Everybody wants to save the earth, nobody wants to help mom do the dishes.  --P.J. O'Rourke

Showing posts with label Hardware. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hardware. Show all posts

Monday, February 28, 2011

How to Fix an Itunes Library Full of Duplicates and Mystery Tracks


Like many people, my digital music library began well before I had an iPod or iTunes, and has survived several iterations of sketchy HDD based iPods, corrupt iTunes libraries, failed computers & hard drives and everything in between.   Recently I found myself with an iPod that wouldn't sync, 10K+ songs (many of them duplicates - and many simply labeled 'track 1', 'track 2' etc) and two branch libraries from my wife and daughter, both of which had a combination of songs, some duplicating songs in my library (and each others) and some not.  This weekend I decided to fix all these problems and found a number of tools that really simplified things.  Here are the solutions associated with each problem.

1. Partially labeled songs - Early songs of mine which I copied from CD's (before robust programs and before I knew any better) labeled "track 1" etc, some with album artist info, some not.  For this issue, I found an app called Tune Up, which is like Shazam for iTunes (which is exactly what I put in Google search).  Simply put, Tune Up, scans through your library and pretty seamlessly identifies each song, album, artist and artwork and updates your library accordingly.  This cost $25 for a year's subscription and is worth twice that - it performed flawlessly - really, and my library includes a lot of weird sampler CD's from magazines and such...it even identified those perfectly.

2 & 3 Duplicates and Multiple Libraries. - I looked for a deduper for iTunes, and there were quite a few, but I found a much simpler solution.  I downloaded WinMerge which is like a UX Diff utility for Windows.  While the tool is intended for source code management, it works pissah for iTunes libraries.  Basically you select two folders (the iTunes music directories you want to compare) and it spits out the differences (and not just the usual file name/date/size) but actual differences.  Once WinMerge has finished it's work (which happens in seconds - even on a 10k file lib) you it's a simple right click to move the missing files over to your lib.  WinMerge is free, but it's priceless - it really works that well.  It might even beat out Notepad++ and MySQL for best freeware.  It is a great answer to a simple and common problem.

4. iPod that won't sync - I had/have a first edition iPod classic 160gb that refused to sync about two years after I bought it.  Among other symptoms, it during the sync, Windows XP would throw the error "Wrong Volume, please insert 'X' Volume"  or simply an iTunes -50 error.  The frustrating thing was that I managed to get it to sync successfully once despite the error, which led me to believe it was an iTunes/Windows/Corrupt File issue.  Well, it wasn't, it actually half crapped out,  a new iPod solved that problem easily.

5. Downloaded Songs Only on iPod - my daughter, buys itunes songs (on my account) but only downloads them directly to her iPod Touch over WiFi.  Obviously I need to get these added to my Lib so we don't lose them if her iPod craps out.  For this problem, the Copy Trans suite is the best solution, these guys do a great job and it is reasonably priced, I highly recommend all their programs.

6. Duplicate Songs In One Library- This problem arose out of previous attempts to fix the other issues, leaving me with a mess of actual duplicates (some disguised under the aforementioned "track_1", "track_2") and semi duplicates, songs that were duplicated on anthologies for example.  For this issue there is actually an iTunes solution, if you hold down 'shift' while clicking on the iTunes 'file' menu, you will see an option to view only 'exact' duplicates.  While it is still a manual delete, it is very easy once you don't have to wade through the not actually duplicates.  Best (and only) semi hidden iTunes feature.

Well, that's it, good luck, I hope you can learn from my issues. 
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Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Sennheiser H595, Shure E4c, Bose QC15 - Three Way Shootout/Review




The arrival of the Ipod has changed the way we listen to music, you're no longer chained down to a big receiver and speakers, and many of us listen to the majority of our music on headphones.  Before the Ipod, headphones were kindof a niche/geek product that most people didn't give a second thought to, and now they are a must have item.  When choosing a set of headphones, you should take into account the following four criteria:

1. Where & When You Listen
2. Your Budget
3. Comfort
4. Sound Quality

The three headphones in this review are all very different and represent the three general types of headphones; open backed big traditional headphones, noise cancelling headphones and earphones. To see which type is right for you let's see how they each compare in the criteria set out above.

More...

Sennheiser HD595:

Where and When You Listen - Just as their name implies, open backed headphones have nothing between the outside world and your ear and headphone drivers.  When wearing them, you can hear the outside world, and they can hear your music (albeit at greatly reduced volume).  If you listen to your music in close proximity to another person, you're gonna piss them off.  If you listen in a loud environment, you won't be able to hear your music.  The positive side of this type is that if you need to be at least minimally aware of outside noises (the phone ringing for example) they are well suited for that.

Your Budget - Despite an MSRP of $325 these can be had for nearly half that amnount if you shop carefully, as I speak they are $179 at Amazon.

Comfort - With a cushioned adjustable headband, light weight and ultra soft padded ear cups the HD595 is by far the most comfortable of the three.

Sound Quality - Sennheiser has been making headphones since Christ left Chicago and it shows in spades, easily the greatest sound quality of the trio, with an open, expansive, more natural and balanced sound than the other two.  There is one caveat here however, the HD595 needs a fair amount of current at louder volumes to sound its best.  My Ipod does not put out enough power to drive these to their fullest, it's okay, but if you can pair the Ipod with a headphone amp or stereo amp headphone jack, the HD595 will rock your world.  I use the "Total Airhead" portable headphone amp by Headroom.

Shure E4c


Where and When You Listen - The Shure E4 is an "in ear" ear canal earphone, and when I say "in ear", I mean it, to get the best sound out of these you need to jam it pretty far into your ear canal.  The obvious benefit of this is the best sound isolation of the bunch, I used these the other day while operating a belt sander attached to a shop vac and the outside noise was barely audible, for comparison I tried the Bose QC15 at the same time and the Shures were noticeably better at muffling the noise.  You can't hear the outside world and it can't hear you, period. These are the green eggs and ham of earphones, you can wear them on a train, on a bus, on a plane - you will like them anywhere.  They are also the smallest and lightest.  Although they are the best of this crop for activities, be aware that the cables can transmit a lot of sound when they rub against your body.  It's a kind of rustling sound, like wind on a microphone, but with careful placing of the cables this is minimized.

Your Budget - The E4c is not a current Shure model, but can still be purchased if you look around.  Pricing is remarkably similar to the HD595 with an MSRP of $319 and a street value of $169.

Comfort - This is a tough one, as everyone's ears are different and some people have an aversion to sticking things in their ear canal.  The Shures come with a variety of different tips to suit individual ears and preferences.  I use the yellow foam tips which closely resemble foam earplugs and are made from a similar material and I find them reasonably comfortable.

Sound Quality -  A good tight fit is imperative if you want to get good sound out of these, with a poor fit they sound like crap, but once you find a good fit, the sound quality is impressive.  Though not quite the equal of the Sennheisers, the Shures have a nicely balanced sound, with a strong tight bass, and awesome midrange and balanced, not overly bright treble.  What's especially cool about these is that with the music being piped straight into your eardrums, you notice details you've never heard before, even with the stock Itunes codec. In my opinion, these have the second best sound quality, lacking only the outright punch and soundstage of the HD595s

Bose QC15

Where and When You Listen - These are a close second to the Shures when it came to versatility, they reduce noise nicely, while still allowing you to hear conversations.  The don't project much sound into the environment and will not annoy your seat mates or room mates.  You can't jog in them, but if you are stationary or walking, these will stay put.

Your Budget - Bose products are never cheap, and I have yet to see one "on sale"  These have an MSRP of $300 and sell for $300.  On the plus side, they are very well built and come with a handy case and airplane sound adapters.  Bose customer service is also very good and they stand behind their products, but it's gonna cost you.

Comfort - The QC's are very comfortable, but their more compact dimensions leaves less room for your ears and this keeps them from edging out the HD595 in my opinion, but this is a matter of taste, there is not that much distance between the two in terms of comfort.

Sound Quality - The sound quality of these is a bit of a disappointment for $300 headphones, it's not bad per se, but to my ears they don't sound as open or as detailed as the other two.  Life is a compromise and these are not a bad compromise, they don't ultimately sound as good as the other two, but they are less finicky and intrusive than the Shures and more flexible then the Senn's when it comes to listening locations

BOTTOM LINE: For the best sound, traditional circumaural (around the ear) open back headphones like the HD595 are without peer.  Ear Canal earphones like the Shures offer great sound (although it make take some twiddling and trial and error) combined with the best sound deadening, and the ultimate in portability.  I know that Bose markets the QC15 on it's ability to eliminate external noise, but realistically, there is only so much they can do with AAA battery power, in really loud environments (like a jackhammer or rock concert) the ear canal phones excel, there is a reason that professional musicians use them as sound monitors.  The Bose QC's offer a decent amount of noise reduction (suitable for most office and travel settings), while remaining comfortable and portable, but they lack some of the sound fidelity of the other two and cost a fortune to boot.
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Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Manhasset Music Stands - Not Just for Band Geeks




Even the most rabid HS Band Fanboys probably never gave a second thought about what was holding up their copy of "The Wizz". That's okay though, because the Crinkle Black Manhasset music stand is so common that almost nobody knows they exist, outside of music store owners and orchestra accounts payable clerks. It's a shame really, because it's very good at what it does, namely holding stuff up. Manhasset now makes a variety of stands, all with the more or less the same music desk that graces countless high school stages. Besides being good for holding music, the various stands have loads of potential for usage outside the music hall. The table top stand pictured above for example would be great for holding cook books up so you can more easily read the recipe while you are cooking, or for holding textbooks in an upright position for studying and transcribing. The company also makes a wall mounted version and the familiar height adjustable model, both of which would be handy for a host of uses where there isn't room for a table or when you need to consult reference material while standing - plans in a woodshop for example. Oh, and they are made in the U.S. and come in different colors.

The Manhasset Specialty Company
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Monday, August 10, 2009

Automatic Power Tool Vacuum Switch



One of the biggest PITA of home improvement projects is cleanup, ( well, that and previous owners). Dust intensive power tools like sanders and routers can really make an awful mess and I often hook them up to a shop vac to keep the dust down. Hi end wet dry vacs are often equipped with a special switch which turns the vacuum on whenever you turn on an attached power tool for just this reason. The problem is that you have to buy a $300-$400 vacuum to get this capability. Lee Valley tools (whom I have had good luck with in the past) sells a stand alone switch for $40 which can turn on any vacuum into a tool vac. What is different about this one is it's ability to drive a 30 amp load by plugging each of the two cords into a different outlet on a different circuit. More...There are a lot of uses for this thing other than it's intended use though, you could hook it up to your TV and plug a power strip into the vacuum outlet and plug the VCR, cable box, DVD player and whatnot into the strip so that when you turned on the TV everything else would go on. Other than making life easier for the audio/visual technophobe, it has the added benefit of making sure all the "Vampire" appliances were deprived of power. A few caveats are in order though, the attached electronics would probably loose their setting (like time/date), and I am not sure if the TV current draw in a standby mode would inadvertently turn on all the switched components. Might be worth playing around with though.
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Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Sensation / Bob Cat Push Lawn Mowers



In the 70's when I was a kid, I mowed a few lawns for spending money, rather than ruin the family riding mower, my Dad would take me to the local Lawnmower Shop where we could rent one of these Bob Cat push mowers. These mowers were practically indestructible, with a cast aluminum deck, steel wheels with bearings and B&S commercial motors. Everything was bomb proof on these units, even the grass catcher was simple and had a rugged steel frame. More... If you look closely you can see that the wheels had no height adjustment lever and had to be set with with a wrench. That last bit always struck me as unnecessarily and conspicuously milspec rugged, but whatever, it was simple. These mowers were very popular with the pro landscaping set for a long time and then they disappeared. Near as I can tell, this type/model of mower was originally put out by the Sensation company, and enjoyed considerable popularity and loyalty for many years. I am not sure if it came to Bob Cat by merger or license, but I guess Sensation changed hands a few times and was ultimately swallowed up by Lawn Boy (Started by Evinrude Outboards), which then got eaten by Toro (which had previously gobbled up Wheel Horse Tractors - a Division of AMC, yes, that AMC). So somewhere in this cluster#%$ of mergers, somebody killed this model. I wish they hadn't the world could use a simple durable mower.
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Wednesday, February 4, 2009

How Fast is IBM's Newest Supercomputer ?

Well, according to IBM it will be faster than all the other Top 500 Supercomputers
Combined...

or

If each of the 6.7 billion people on earth had a hand calculator and worked together on a calculation 24 hours per day, 365 days a year, it would take 320 years to do what Sequoia will do in one hour.
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Saturday, December 6, 2008

Lenovo Ideapad S10 Netbook

I just got one of these a few days ago, $399 with 1 gig of ram, 160 gig HDD, Win XP
Intel Atom processor.  This little thing has actually exceeded my expectations, runs
Office very well, has an express card slot (for a Verizon card) and a great display in
a really solid seeming chassis.  The one below is not mine (I got black) but I included
this photo to give an idea of scale.


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Tuesday, October 28, 2008

My Keyboard


This probably (okay definitely) shows what a gear geek/snob I am, this
is the keyboard I have used for the past ten years or so.  Behold the IBM
M15 Split Keyboard.  Little did I know when I snagged it that it would be 
a collectors item.  IBM M Keyboards in general are widely believed to be
the best ever made and this model is the apogee.  I love this keyboard
and will take it with me to new jobs like a craftsman carries his tools or 
a chef his/her knife.  Here are a couple of links for the curious.



Mine is at the bottom of this article.

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