Author: bakert

So, I finally gave in and bought an iPod. The release of the Windows version (the difference is only in software supplied). Here’s some things that surprised me (other than this everything you’ve read is true). Observations refer to 20GB Windows version purchased from Micro Anvika on Tottenham Court Road, London, UK.

• Spinning wheel in the centre is not like all those I played with in displays in stores – it is solid state and in some way touch-sensitive. Its just as cool if not more so and will probably last longer now
• Formatted capacity is actually 18.xGB but holds more than the stated 4000 songs (I think they’re estimating for 5min songs at 192kbit/sec whereas my songs are shorter on average and mostly encoded at the more common 128kbit/sec)
• The Windows software (MusicMatch jukebox) is crap. Really slow to recognize the iPod and with my setup only transfers at about 1MB/sec (MUCH less than the ~50MB/sec I was expecting) – but there is 3rd party software that’s better. I expect the iTunes/Mac experience is a lot better than any PC alternative though
• Transfer speeds are generally lower than I expected – I managed to get 4MB/sec with ephPod and others online have reported up to 10MB/sec. I’d love to hear from anyone getting nearer to the apple quoted speeds of up to 50MB/sec
• Because the HDD in the iPod is formatted to FAT32 for Windows but HFS+ for Mac you can’t take your iPod between Macs and PCs unless you use something like XPlay on the PC
• I now have to sort out all the ID3 tags on my MP3z as iPod relies solely on them to categorize your music. There are tools to help you do this (its MusicMatch Jukebox’s only strong point) but its still a pain with 4000 MP3s to sort out
• PCMCIA firewire cards can’t pass power through so the battery drains when using it connected to a laptop

All that said, its an amazing machine and the UI is just fantastic. Once its plugged into your computer its less fun – especially if you’re using it on two machines like I am. But the thing in and of itself is just brilliant. And the “wow” factor from the non-technical is quite funny too: “What have you got on it?” “Well, name something – I’ve probably got it”.

If you’ve got any questions you can’t find the answer to I’d be happy to answer them for you: bakert+ipod@gmail.com

I try not to alter the names of the files that I download or any of their metadata (the ID tags in MP3s for example) so that it is obvious to all filesharing programs that the file I have is the same file as others

But this does lead me to some metaphysical wranglings. For example, ‘Dreadlock Holiday’ by 10cc is more often called ‘I Don’t Like Cricket’. ‘Flagpole Sitta’ by Harvey Danger is now called ‘Paranoia’ after its best line (Paranoia! Paranoia! Everybody’s coming to get me!) or ‘I’m Not Sick But I’m Not Well’ after the chorus, but only rarely ‘Flagpole Sitta’ (and the spelling varies there)

So my question is, should I leave the files as they are so that they are more likely to be found by other searchers and also identified as the selfsame files for multiple-source downloads? Or should they be altered to be more accurate? Will ‘Cross the Tracks’ by Maceo and the Macks forever be known as part of the Snatch soundtrack?

And it goes further than song titles – democratization is now spelt with a zed because US English is the language of the internet. I’ve recently changed my programming style so that variables and text within my programs are spelt the American way. Variables called colour or organiser are now called color and organizer

I suppose the real question here is: are these lowest-common–denominator changes? Or does this represent the refinement of the polyglot of human thought into the single über-language? I leave that to y’all

Alberto Treves of Softgap wrote to me about their freeware filesharing program Ares

He says:

Ares is a next generation Gnutella client being able to search and quickly download any type of file.
Ares can find music, movies , games , images, documents…
Ultrapeer protocol grants low bandwith usage.
Ares features multiple sources downloads, an integrated audio/video player with playlist, a web-browser and an easy to browse library to manage your shared content.
Ares is FREEWARE and doesn’t install spywares or co-bundled softwares.

I downloaded the software and it is very similar to KaZaALite but somewhat cleaner and better implemented (you can actually sort by all the clickable columns in the transfer window, for example). As for the network there’s certainly a lot on it – not sure if its as good as KaZaA though.

Ares’ main advantage over KaZaALite is in usability. Ctrl-Click and Shift-Click for multiple download cancel works and little touches like that can make all the difference. Give it a spin

All these notes added to my filesharing page where there is also a list of filesharing programs

Update 2004-04-24: Changed link as Ares now has its own homepage at aresgalaxy.org.

It has long been my contention that a WHERE clause on a SQL statement should be mandatory. Even if it just forces the programmer to add “WHERE TRUE” to the end of the statement.

This site is currently a prime example of why a mandatory WHERE clause would be A Good Thing(tm): my new “edit story” page has just run an update with no WHERE clause and set every story to be exactly the same. If its fixed when you read this, that’s because I’ve got to my laptop and done a restore.

Of course, this is also an illustration of the fact that every web site needs a development version. I do have one, its just on my laptop and that’s not here right now!

While there is still no filesharing app as good as Napster was, the quality of the apps and networks out there is slowly improving despite the best efforts of advertisers and the RIAA.

The best recent improvement is the release of KaZaALite

KaZaALite is an ad-free, spyware-free version of KaZaA that runs on the same network. It subtitles itself “P2P as it should be” and with good reason (although its still missing simple UI ingredients like Ctrl+Left Click to select multiple items individually and Shift+Left Click to select groups on the Traffic page, meaning you have to cancel each download individually)

In fact, KaZaALite is so good and quite hard to find to download so I’ve decided to make it possible to download KaZaALite from this site

(These notes have also been added to my filesharing page.)

The current recording industry trend of swamping filesharing networks with looped versions of new songs (seen with Eminem’s ‘The Eminem Show’ and No Doubt’s single ‘Hella Good’) seems to have reached new heights with the Prodigy’s new record Baby’s Got a Temper

In an independent little survey I just ran, of the 20 files available for download on iMesh NONE were the correct, ROHYPNOL-mentioning real version. There were two or three non-looped versions but they were all radio/mtv versions with parts of the chorus dubbed out. There was even a version recorded with someone talking in Russian (?) over the top of it. Creative, eh?

So what next for the filesharers, is it off to sites like www.sharereactor.com and filesharing networks like eDonkey? Or will the unavailability of the latest singles merely deter the younger element?

We shall see.

My review of The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat by Oliver Sacks now online

Yesterday (22 June 2002) I ate in the Lucknow Tandoori Restaurant on Newington Green Road (tel. 020 7354
1078). The place itself is nothing special but the food is excellent. It does the best indian takeaway I’ve ever had and delivers too.

I just thought there ought to be something on the web about it as I couldn’t find anything except address/telephone number when I searched for it yesterday to show the people we were going with. I know it was mentioned in Time Out as John Hegley‘s favourite restaurant but I felt it needed a token online presence!

My review of Vintage Wodehouse by P.G. Wodehouse (ed. Richard Usborne) now online

Whistling is useless but being able to whistle loudly (for a taxi, to call your friend across the street, for help even) is very useful. In trying to learn this skill I’ve scoured the web. I found only one site that was helpful and that seems to have disappeared now so I have put its text up here for anyone else like me who was trying to find out how to do it without buying a book