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More MP3 Ripping Yarns

By Dave F in Reader

Posted in music, Coding, Blogs, Linux, e-commerce on December 23, 2008 at 12:30 pm

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A while back I was bemoaning the loss of CD look up for Music Match Jukebox
It appears yahoo bought it and severed links to the old data base requiring you to upgrade to the latest version to access a new database. The new version won’t run with IE6 for some reason so as I don’t like IE7 (still) it’s no good to me.
I did try
but didn’t have much joy. It tagged some files but not many and seems to require something to rip them first. So I tried Media Monkey. Also not impressed. A madly complex UI and another stupid library system. As its MP3 ripping times out after a month & I don’t think it’s worth paying for that too has been chucked.
So I’m back to ripping with an old MMJB v7  & cutting and pasting track names from Amazon or wherever I can find a discography. However, I have this down to a fine art (well a system anyway). I rip to a standard directory, I paste a copy of the names into a text file & I have a utility program than renames the MP3’s from the file. Unfortunately I usually have to edit the file to get the format I want “1. A song name  - 4:03″ to “01 A Song Name” etc. but it is quick enough to do. I then have to use MMJB again to “super tag” - using this I can set the MP3 tag names to the filename & also add in the artist & album. I then move the dir to the right place. A lot of faffing for what used to happen automatically but at least it is under my control and I could tidy up the formating thing I guess.
I’m not sure where I could upload the renaming utility to but if you want a copy we’ll see what we can do! It could do with a bit of tidying up though!! Actually, Ijust looked at the code & tweaked it a bit - it does format the names for me (at least add a number & remove any previous numbers & dodgey characters).  Good job I blogged about it or I wouldn’t have realised I’d already written it that way :-)
I expect there is something good on linux to do this? If anyone wants to recomend something  I could just look for that & chuck that on one of my linux machines.
Oh yes, and I nearly forgot -                  H a p p y   C h r i s t m a s ! ! !

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Going to the dogs?

By Dave F in Reader

Posted in Funny, e-commerce on December 16, 2008 at 10:36 am

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I’m all for a cheap laugh and tacky humour but I can’t say http://www.play.com/Gadgets/Gadgets/4-/3322298/USB-Humping-Dog/Product.html really does it for me. However, I can see getting tech support in and when they ask what the problem is saying

“My computer is sh*gged” might be amusing…

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Postmen and their walking speed

By Dave F in Reader

Posted in In the news, Funny, Home on December 15, 2008 at 10:41 am

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There seems to a be a great deal of fuss over how fast postmen walk.
Obviously this comes down to good old IT systems. Someone seems to think if you have a computerised map you should be able to work out exactly how far a route is and hence how long postie should take to walk it. That would be fine if s/he was just walking but presumably they are required to open gates, walk up paths, fight dogs and even (on occasion) deliver letters.

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The dark side of the moon

By Dave F in Reader

Posted in media, music on December 8, 2008 at 10:20 am

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If you are not familiar with this brilliant album which was a major part of my youth then you could do worse than to listen to Radio 1’s podcast of the Masterpieces show that documents it.

I am only half way through listening to it and have to say Radio 1 is as irritating as I imagined it would

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Downsizing the aged rellies

By Dave F in Reader

Posted in Home, Blogs on December 3, 2008 at 6:30 pm

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Sorry, I haven’t blogged for a bit (I’m sure you were hanging on my every word). I have been up to my eyes helping clear out some aged relatives’ house. These guys haven’t thrown anything away for years and are now moving to a much smaller place. So between explaining that they probably don’t need 16 rolls or sellotape (yes I know it is nearly Christmas but they don’t actually buy presents anymore) and wondering why they might need the Co-op grocery delivery order book (I know this moved with them from their last house as a) it is for a different town and b) the co-op stopped delivering 30 years ago) I got to worry about clearing out my junk when I get old(er).

Technology has moved on so everything is smaller - my kids won’t have to worry about my vinyl (well maybe some, I haven’t chucked it all yet!) or even CD’s. It will all be on some digital storage and take up very little space. And even more so photos - where to put all the albums of people you don’t know but who are family so you don’t think you should just bin them is a problem that has faced most of us who have lost an older generation. Now you can keep hundreds of pictures on a CD and we don’t have those unwieldy albums anymore. The problem is that now we keep hundreds and (by the time I’m in a home) thousands of pictures. The problem my kids will have when they clear my house will be the same as IT managers have now. Not where do we put it, but which information is useful and how do we access it.

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