Geek Software of the Week: TAudioConverter Audio Converter!

My favorite audio converter is actually AVS4You Audio Converter, but you do have to pay for that one. This is free, open Source, and great as well!

TAudioConverter Audio Converter

“TAudioConverter is an advanced, multithreaded audio converter and extractor. It can convert any audio format to aac, mp3, wav, flac, ac3, ogg, opus, mpc, ape or tta. It can also, extract audio streams from video files. It can apply various effects to audio streams.”

Features:

  • Multithreaded
  • Convert audio files to audio files
  • Extract audio files from videos and encode them
  • Encode to aac, aac+, ogg, mp3, flac, wav, opus, ac3, mpc, ape, tta, tak, alac
  • Copy embedded artwork to output folder
  • Select between multiple encoders
  • Both portable and setup versions are available
  • Apply effects to audio files
  • Simple clear interface
  • Shell extension to start encoding with right clicking

Google Voice Command via a Google Chrome Plug-in

A new Google Chrome extension gives you Google voice command of your browser.

Google releases ‘OK Google’ Chrome extension for hands-free voice search on the desktop

9 to 5 Google Blog – “Google announced today on Google+ that it’s releasing a new extension for Chrome that will enable hands-free activation of the voice search features it rolled out earlier this year. Google announced the conversational voice search features for Chrome back in May and has been updating it on various platforms since, but previously users had to actually click a microphone icon to activate voice search on the desktop.

Now, like on Android 4.4 devices and within the Google Now mobile apps, using the extension users will be able to simply say ‘OK Google’ to initiate a search:

This year, rather than stopping midway through to wash your hands and type in a search, you can just speak to your laptop: ‘Ok Google, how many ounces are in one cup?’ Et voila, the cooking can go on. You can also say ‘Ok Google, set a timer for 30 minutes’ so you don’t forget to baste that turkey.

Users will have to be on Google.com in Chrome in order to activate a voice search hands-free.

The free extension is available on the Chrome Web Store now for English speakers in the U.S.”

elementary OS, the Linux for Mac Lovers?

elementaryOS

The elementary OS is a new version of Linux that is more like a Mac. It is simple and refined looking. If you are looking for something just a bit different… give it a try! Even on an “under-powered” machine.

elementaryOS Web Site

“Community Driven.
elementary has a single goal: to provide the best possible experience for our community. We’re driven by a desire to be better, not by a paycheck. Contributors aren’t profit-maximizers, they’re purpose-maximizers.

Transparent and Open.
We believe in the power of open source and global collaboration. That means anyone can download, use, modify, and contribute to the code we’ve written to bring their ideas to life. The code is developed in the open, meaning it’s available for review, scrutiny, and improvement by tens of thousands of developers all around the world. All before it hits your system.

Beautiful and Usable.
elementary is crafted by designers and developers who believe that computers can be easy, fun, and gorgeous. By putting design first, we ensure we’re not compromising on quality or usability.

Modern Computing.
elementary OS is a free replacement for Windows on the PC and OS X on the Mac. It comes with what you’d expect, like a fast web browser and an app store with thousands of apps. Plus some things you may not expect, like free updates and no known viruses.

Speedy
Luna has been engineered from the ground up to be light on its toes. It starts up quickly, logs in instantly, and uses the bare minimum of resources so that your apps enjoy a speed boost as well. And with Luna, you get the same Linux foundation chosen for the world’s fastest supercomputers.

Full of Features
When you install elementary, you’re not just installing an operating system. You’re installing an excellent suite of custom tailored apps that let you get right to business. Easily surf the web, check your email, listen to music, and tackle everyday tasks or pleasures.

Music
Browse by albums, Make playlists, Rate songs, and see similiar tracks.

Midori
Surf the web with the speed of the same rendering engine as Google Chrome and Apple Safari.

Empathy
Connect with Jabber, Facebook, Google Talk, AIM, IRC, Yahoo! and more.

Geary Mail
View multiple accounts, get desktop notifications, and read your mail in conversations.

Shotwell
Import, Organize, and Edit photos. Make a slideshow. Share with Facebook or Flickr.

Updates
Always stay on the cutting edge. Get updates right away, forever, for free.”

Dr. Bill.TV #315 – Video – “The Let’s Be Safe Out There Edition”

HBO GO is now available for Chromecast, Microsoft in talks to buy Shoutcast and Winamp, Bitcasa jacks up their price for unlimited storage! GSotW: Password Safe, Microsoft sells 1 million Xbox Ones in the first 24 hours, Pogoplug’s new Safeplug device.

Links that pertain to this Netcast:

TechPodcasts Network

International Association of Internet Broadcasters

Blubrry Network

Dr. Bill Bailey.NET

Password Safe Web Site


Start the Video Netcast in the Blubrry Video Player above by
clicking on the “Play” Button in the center of the screen.

(Click on the buttons below to Stream the Netcast in your “format of choice”)
Streaming M4V Audio





Streaming MP3 Audio

Streaming Ogg Audio

Download M4V Download WebM Download MP3 Download Ogg
(Right-Click on any link above, and select “Save As…” to save the Netcast on your PC.)

Available on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/tJU95_0WWio

Available on Vimeo at: https://vimeo.com/80272702


Dr. Bill.TV #315 – Audio – “The Let’s Be Safe Out There Edition”

HBO GO is now available for Chromecast, Microsoft in talks to buy Shoutcast and Winamp, Bitcasa jacks up their price for unlimited storage! GSotW: Password Safe, Microsoft sells 1 million Xbox Ones in the first 24 hours, Pogoplug’s new Safeplug device.

Links that pertain to this Netcast:

TechPodcasts Network

International Association of Internet Broadcasters

Blubrry Network

Dr. Bill Bailey.NET

Password Safe Web Site


Start the Video Netcast in the Blubrry Video Player above by
clicking on the “Play” Button in the center of the screen.

(Click on the buttons below to Stream the Netcast in your “format of choice”)
Streaming M4V Audio





Streaming MP3 Audio

Streaming Ogg Audio

Download M4V Download WebM Download MP3 Download Ogg
(Right-Click on any link above, and select “Save As…” to save the Netcast on your PC.)

Available on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/tJU95_0WWio

Available on Vimeo at: https://vimeo.com/80272702


Safeplug: Anonymous Surfing in a Box!

Pogoplug SafeplugThis box gives everyone on your internal network Tor browser anonymity!

Say hello to Safeplug, Pogoplug’s $49 Tor-in-a-box for anonymous surfing

GigaOmSUMMARY: The box takes a minute to set up and promises anonymity for all surfing done through the connected router. It may not prove quite that simple to use in reality, but it’s certainly an intriguing and cost-effective privacy tool.

You may know Pogoplug as the maker of little ‘personal cloud’ devices for streaming media from your home to your smartphone, or, if you’re more up to speed with what the company’s been doing, you may be aware of its Dropbox-battling cloud storage services. But while security has always been a necessary aspect of these plays, Pogoplug is now jumping headfirst into that space with its new product, Safeplug.

Safeplug is essentially Linux-based hardware packaging for Tor, which is slightly-hard-to-use software for people who want to surf the web anonymously. Tor does this using encryption and by bouncing everyone’s traffic around other users’ connections, making it almost – but not always – impossible to see who’s visiting which page. Safeplug also automatically blocks ads.

‘We’re huge fans of Tor and are very good at building these small appliances,’ Pogoplug CEO Dan Putterman told me, explaining that Safeplug just needs to be plugged into the user’s router. ‘It takes 60 seconds to install, then all of your in-home internet access becomes completely anonymized. We want to just take what is currently available today to a more technical crowd and democratize it, making it easier to use for an average user.’

Anonymity is complex

Safeplug with phoneIf only things were that simple. Tor may be good for privacy, but it doesn’t play nicely with all the things you might want to do on the internet – all that bouncing-around of traffic means slower surfing, which becomes an issue with streaming video and gaming, and the anti-fraud mechanisms in online banking services aren’t too keen on anonymized access either.

Pogoplug is aware of these limitations, Putterman said, which is why users can whitelist certain sites so that their use is not run through Tor. Users can also set up Safeplug to work on a per-browser basis, so for example Firefox may always run through Tor while Chrome won’t. I worry that this sort of complexity will bedevil those who expect to just plug the thing in and forget about it.

On the plus side, users can also set themselves up as Tor nodes to help others surf anonymously (the default setting for this is ‘off’ as it has bandwidth implications). Putterman said Pogoplug hadn’t actually talked to the Tor folks before putting their open-source project in a box (‘We wanted to have some aspect of secrecy in the development process’) but pointed out that it would ‘hopefully make a significant impact in terms of the number of relays out there’, thereby making Tor better at what it does.

‘Vetted software’

Safeplug runs Tor and a proxy server with ‘hardened’ SSH access, and that’s about it. It costs $49 and is initially on sale in the U.S. Pogoplug plans to also sell it across Europe and Asia, and yes, Putterman is conscious of that fact that some people there won’t be brimming with trust for a security product coming out of the U.S.

‘It’s using very vetted software,’ he pointed out. ‘We could have run a VPN or proxy service somewhere else, but we realized the only way to truly guarantee [anonymity and safety] is not to be reliant on any other service. People who are sceptical can look at the Linux level and see exactly what processes are running. Technical users can look inside the box and feel safe that it’s only running Tor.’

Pogoplug has even made firmware updates for the device pull-only, not push – ‘If we pushed, we’d have to track all the boxes. It’s pull-based for security reasons.’

Safeplug aside, Pogoplug is also seeking to reassure customers outside the U.S. with the siting of its data centers (Pogoplug only used Amazon Glacier for a few months in the early days of its cloud storage product). It has several in the U.S. and one in Israel, and it’s currently setting one up in France. Japan’s next on the list.”

Microsoft Sells 1 Million Xbox Ones in the First 24 Hours Too!

Well, wadda ya know? The PS4 sold 1 million in 24 hours last week, and this week, the Xbox One sold 1 million in the first 24 hours. Very, very interesting!

Microsoft sells 1 million Xbox One units in its first 24 hours

TheNextWeb – “Microsoft has announced a successful Xbox One launch with over 1 million units sold worldwide in the first 24 hours. That roughly matches Sony’s PlayStation 4, which also topped 1 million in its first day.

Friday’s launch outpaced the launches for the Xbox 360 and the original Xbox. As TechCrunch points out, Microsoft’s numbers include sales in a total of 13 countries, while Sony launched the PS4 in just the US and Canada.”

So, arguably, Sony did better!

Geek Software of the Week: Password Safe

You have a LOT of passwords to keep up with. Now, you have a free, Open Source, secure way to do so!

Password Safe Web Site

“How Many Passwords do YOU have to secure?

Whether the answer is one or hundreds, Password Safe allows you to safely and easily create a secured and encrypted user name/password list. With Password Safe all you have to do is create and remember a single “Master Password” of your choice in order to unlock and access your entire user name/password list.

Security starts with you, the user. Keeping written lists of passwords on scraps of paper, or in a text document on your desktop is unsafe and is easily viewed by prying eyes (both cyber-based and human). Using the same password over and over again across a wide spectrum of systems and web sites creates the nightmare scenario where once someone has figured out one password, they have figured out all your passwords and now have access to every part of your life (system, e-mail, retail, financial, work).

  • Start your safe and simplified digital life
  • Free open source software
  • Installation in minutes on Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8
  • Designed by renowned security technologist Bruce Schneier
  • Over 4 million downloads”

Bitcasa Jacks Up Their Price… a LOT!

I thought Bitcasa was “da bomb” because they offered unlimited storage, with no restrictions, at $99.00 per year. And, I signed up. But, no way I am renewing at $999.00 per year! Are you kidding?!? I got Pogoplug. $49.99 per year. They had better not raise their price, or I will be REALLY miffed!

Bitcasa’s infinite cloud storage balloons to $999 a year

Engadget – “If you thought Bitcasa’s infinite cloud storage was too sweet of a deal to exist on this mortal plane for $99 a year, that’s because it was — or at least partly because the bulk of subscribers filled up far less of their digital lockers than expected. According to the outfit, 98 percent of its customers use less than five terabytes of data, and 92 percent ‘do not store anywhere close to a terabyte.’ In addition, the firm says a survey of its customers revealed they valued more features over additional space. As result, the unlimited service will now cost $999 a year, or $99 per month, and the company will focus on making the platform more useful, starting with a freshly-released API. Free accounts have been tweaked to start at 5GB (as opposed to 10GB), and the $99 per year (or $10 a month) tier now nets 1TB of space. For those with even more bits to squirrel away, 5TB can be had by contributing $499 a year (or $49 each month) to Bitcasa’s coffers.

Existing subscribers will get to keep their current plan’s rates and storage, but won’t get access to some new offerings — such as the future Linux client — unless they switch to the new pricing scheme. Tencent’s free 10TB of online storage might sound even more tempting now, but it’s worth taking this instance as an example of what could happen to your cloud paradise.”

1 149 150 151 152 153 394