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January 2006
Ripping and running MP3s
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Immediately after Christmas, Geekboy fielded a number of calls about portable MP3 players and inflatable girlfriends.
I couldn’t help much with the latter, other than the usual advice of keeping her away from open flame, but I managed to help some of my technically-inept friends convert their CDs into MP3s.
Last week, we learned an MP3 is basically a smaller version of the music you find on a CD. Since the file size is typically a tenth as large, you can fit a lot more of them on a portable device.
Today we’ll discuss a legal method of acquiring MP3s – converting your existing stack of CDs into something you can slap on an iPod. Future blogs will explain how to download MP3s from various sources.
At the dawn of the digital age, the manufacturers of music CDs decided to store music in such a way that people could not easily copy it. So, instead of simply popping a CD in the computer and copying music like a normal file, you need a program that extracts or “rips� the songs.
The parlance is colorful, but misleading, because nothing is being ripped, you are simply “extracting digital audio� from the CD and usually converting it into an MP3 so the file size is reduced.
Most MP3 players come with ripping software. I have used a few and some are junk.
I have always used the free and wonderful CDex. This program has been around awhile and there are likely better commercial options available, but you can’t beat the price.
Using CDex is fairly straightforward, but since I get paid by the word I will keep typing.
CDex HowTo
Step 1) Download and install CDex. The program is very small, unlike a lot of bloatware you may be used to.
Step 2) Fire it up! The initial screen will look something like this if your CD drive is empty. We need to set a few things up so click the “Configure CD Settings� button that is indicated in the picture. You should NOT mess with the default settings unless you know what you are doing or are following these directions.
Step 3) Click to the Filenames tab where we will tell CDex where to save MP3s. You should change the two lines on the screenshot that say “c:\geekboy\�. The button to the right of the geekboy line with “…� on it will allow you to browse to the proper folder on your system.
Step 4) Click to the Encoder tab and find where it says “Bitrate Min.� This is where we set the bit rate of the MP3s we will be ripping. Most users will be happy with 128kbps. If you have the hearing of a dog you can select something higher, like 192kbps or 256kbps. Advanced users can change the “encoder� on this tab too for other file formats, but the default setting is the best for making MP3s.
Step 5) Go to the Remote CDDB tab and enter your e-mail address in the appropriate spot. You can enter a bogus e-mail if you are paranoid. The remote compact disc database is needed to automagically fill out the song’s artist and title fields.
Step 6) Click OK.
Step 7) Slap a CD in your CD drive. Wait a few seconds and the program will list how many songs there are on the CD and other basic info.
Step 8) Look over on the right-hand side of the screen and you will see a button that has a magnifying glass. Click it to activate the remote database magic.
Step 9) Voila! The remote database has done the heavy lifting for you and entered all the song title and artist information. Sometimes the CDDB will ask you to select an album because there is more than one database entry. Try to select the one in your language that has the fewest misspellings! If you have a very rare CD, the database may not find a match.
Step 10) To convert the whole CD into MP3s, click the second button from the top on the right-hand side. Other buttons allow you to convert selected songs or portions of songs. Feel free to explore. After a few minutes, the MP3s will appear in the folder you specified in Step 3.
Once you have ripped a CD down, check out the MP3 sound quality. If you need to make corrections, the time to do it is before you spend an afternoon creating MP3s that skip.
For playback, I prefer to use the free program WinAmp. You can use Windows Media Player but it is a bloated piece of junk.
CDex has been around awhile, but does the job for me. And for playing music on a PC, I have yet to find something better than WinAmp.
What programs do you use to make and play MP3s?
Peeking behind the curtain of MP3
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
MP3 players are as popular as free beer at Hooters.
The first question people have after getting an MP3 player, is “Where do I get MP3s?�
Over the next week or so we will discuss the legal and not-so legal ways of obtaining digital music.
While we see how my team of bosses react to the previous sentence, let’s try to get a handle on what an MP3 is.
In the early 1980s, the audio compact disc came into existence. They became popular because they were portable, durable and sounded great. The only problem with them was each song took up a lot of space, limiting each CD to about 20 songs max.
It took some high-powered geeks to fix this.
Geekboy’s History of the MP3
Once upon a time a team of smart Germans got together and, instead of invading France, decided to create a method of making large video and audio file sizes smaller.
Audio and video files needed to be smaller so they could be transmitted more easily over phone lines using modems, which, if anyone recalls, are as slow as molasses in a pre-global warming winter.
To prevent anyone from going to sleep, I will skip the technical details, but needless to say the scientists succeeded.
Their first release was called MPEG-1, and compressed audio and video, like that in a television broadcast. Not that you care, but MPEG stands for Motion Pictures Expert Group, the folks that set the standards for stuff like this.
Eventually, people migrated from slow modems to faster broadband connections and thus the vastly improved MPEG-2 came into being. Most DVDs are recorded in a slightly tweaked version of MPEG-2.
MP3 is a similar compression scheme without the video element. The scientists, who endlessly played Suzanne Vega’s “Tom’s Diner,� were trying to reduce the size of a music file, like those found on audio compact discs, without obvious loss of quality so you could fit more of them onto a hard drive, something every iPod owner appreciates.
How did they do it?
The simple answer is they threw out everything the human ear could not discern.
Digital music, like that on a CD, actually contains more information than the human ear can detect. MP3s basically eliminate all the extra information, making the file size much smaller.
How much smaller is an MP3 than the source music?
It depends.
The size of an MP3 file, and its audio quality, is determined by its “bit rate,� which is simply a measurement of how many packets of information are transmitted in a given period of time, usually per second.
The more bits per second, the better the song sounds, but the more space it will take on your hard drive. The songs on a CD are recorded at the bloated rate of 1400 kilobits per second.
Most listeners are quite happy with a bit rate of 128 kilobits per second, usually written as 128k.
A 128k MP3 is supposed to sound as good as FM radio, so that will likely suit most users. Other popular bit rates are 192k and 256k, which is supposed to sound as good as the CD itself.
A 128k MP3 is roughly a tenth as large as the original song, a 256k MP3 about a fifth as large.
I use 128k MP3s in portable devices, and so do most other people. Next week we will discuss how to acquire MP3s. Until then, let’s compare the various bit rates and see if you can tell a difference in quality.
The following links will fire up the opening few seconds of “Waters Partâ€? by Let’s Active, an old school band from North Carolina.
Can you tell the difference?
Help with creating a Web site
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Dear Geekboy, You are my hero. But enough with the flattery … Suppose a not-so-tech-smart person wanted to set up a Web site. What are some of the easiest and cheapest options? — Anna
It depends on your objective. Is this ever going to be a commercial site? Or do you just want to create a site dedicated to your pets with oodles of pictures?
And do you want your own domain name? An example of a domain name is ajc.com, or the asian-language site ilovepets.net which looks curiously like a menu. You will have to find a domain name no one else has registered, and this can be a bit of a challenge.
I suggest getting your feet wet with a free site and working your way up to your own domain name.
You can get a free blogger site at blogger.com. You can add pictures and text to your hearts content using their design tools. Apple is offering something fancier but it is not free.
Most Internet Service Providers give customers a small web site. Comcast, for example, provides personal web pages and this is often enough for most users. BellSouth offers basically the same thing.
If trying to figure out how to construct a Web site does not topple you from the brink of madness, you can go to the next step and get your own domain name and web host.
A web host is simply a remote computer somewhere on the planet that serves your web pages to those surfing the Net. It doesn’t matter where the web host is located, but I generally prefer to stay in the good ole USA. Our Internet “backbone” is well-developed and maintained.
It doesn’t cost much. I registered a domain and got a year’s worth of nigh-unlimited web hosting for less than $100.
If you want to secure your domain name now, you can pay as little as $8. Monthly hosting runs less than $10.
I use www.ipowerweb.com for my hosting. I have used several companies and they are the best I have personal experience with. But, creating a website there will require some technical skills.
Before you tackle that, you should cut your teeth at one of the free sites and get comfortable with HTML, the basic language used to create web pages.
HTML is fairly simple to learn. It is not really a programming language, but simply a way to instruct a user’s browser on how to display text and pictures. To do anything more than that, you will have to delve into javascript, PHP and the like.
If you are interested in basic HTML, here’s a good resource for beginners:
I wish you luck! There’s a lot out there on the Internet, but there’s always room for more!
Unleashing Google
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Imagine, if you will, that after a bout of serious drinking, you wake up alone, outdoors and naked with a strange phone number emblazoned on your chest in indelible ink.
Whose number is it?
There are ways to find out besides calling. The quickest way is the popular search engine Google.
Go to your Web browser and search for “phonebook:404-656-1776� without the quotes.
It looks like you’ve been partying with powerful friends.
Geekboy loves Google. It became the best search engine on the planet by breaking the rules. Instead of using a centralized mainframe, Google uses thousands of networked consumer PCs to generate search results. And instead of cluttering your screen with dozens of links and pictures, Google keeps it beautifully simple.
Sure, everyone has typed in “failure� or “elgoog� and clicked “I’m feeling lucky� for a cheap laugh, but the true power of Google remains largely unrealized by the millions who use it each day.
When Geekboy sees colleagues looking up numbers in the phonebook, he smirks and wonders if they are riding a horse home from work.
Using a slow Web site phone directory is not the way to go either. It’s much simpler to use another “advanced operator� of Google.
Want the phone number of the AJC? Forget the dead tree version … go to Google and type “phonebook:atlanta journal atlanta�
Hit return and you will see this newspaper has a lot of phones.
Want your Uncle Harry’s number in Iowa?
Type “phonebook:� and follow it immediately (no space after the colon) with Uncle Harry’s name and his hometown or his home state. Chances are you will find him.
Phone numbers are nice, but you can get those by calling 411.
Fortunately, there’s a lot more we can do as a Google power user.
Want to find a particular article on ajc.com but the forest of links frightens you? No problem. Type the following into the Google search field — James Sullivan site:www.ajc.com
You will soon be reading everything about the accused murderer this Web site has ever presented.
Want to read a lifetime of vents? Try this — the vent site:www.ajc.com
Need more Google magic? There’s plenty left.
What’s playing at the theater down the street? Geekboy eschews the travails of entertainment Web sites and simply types “movie: atlanta� into Google. You can use a zip code instead of a city name for a more focused search.
Want to see everywhere King Kong is playing in Atlanta? Try “movie:atlanta king kong�
Curious what movies Brad Pitt’s latest concubine has starred in? Try “movie:angelina jolie�
Are you making a business deal with a friendly chap in a dark alley and he offers you 300 pesos for a bagged herbal product? Scamper inside and type “100 pesos in USD� in the Google’s search field.
Maybe he wants a discount? A mere 37 percent of your initial asking price? Don’t panic, simply type “37 percent of 100 pesos� for your answer.
Ready to read a classic? Try “book:War and Peace� Need a dictionary? “define:blog� Day trader? “stocks:KO� Flight running late? “delta 262� Snow in Hawaii? “weather 96740�
Google is capable of more nefarious tricks, such as finding MP3s or naughty images on the Internet in unprotected folders, but since I want to keep my job I will let you explore the “filetype:� operator on your own at www.google.com/help/features.html.
The computer that makes French fries
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sometimes the recipe for genius requires a dash of madness.
Such was the case when hobbyists, seeking cooler temperatures for overclocked CPUs, turned to completely submerging their computers in liquids.
Not only are liquids better at soaking up the heat than air, but, since they don’t require cooling fans, assure a completely silent rig. Those recording audio had to be stoked at the development.
The first attempts at liquid cooling used water, which, despite what most people think, does not conduct electricity. It is the impurities in water that conduct electricity, not the water itself.
Things grow rapidly in water, however, so that was not the ideal solution.
Enthusiasts turned to synthetic oils, but these are expensive and not easy to find.
Now, a desperate group of computer geeks has turned to vegetable oil. Not only is it cheap and commonly available, but your blazing hot CPU can now crank out French fries!
OK, the oil doesn’t get that hot, but it makes for a fun headline.
What do you think? Would you trust a computer soaking in oil? Personally, I think that such a wild idea actually works is amazing. It will be interesting to see where this goes. But for now, I will stick with noisy fans.
Taking control from a browser hijacker
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Geekboy,
My child downloaded software from movieland.com and now, a few days later, I am getting web browser popups telling me I have to submit a payment because the free trial period has expired. My attempts at uninstalling the software have not helped. How do I get this off my computer? Do I have to pay?
thanks, Melissa
If a minor entered into a contract, you don’t have to pay. Unfortunately, many web-based companies try any underhanded trick in the book to milk the unsuspecting public of cash.
You are the victim of a “browser hijacker,â€? so let’s return control of your computer to its rightful owner.
What has happened is this: Your kid installed software, including a small program that activates its annoying self after a few days if you have not submitted a code which indicates you have made payment.
This is not a unique practice, many other companies use a variation of this, which could be classified as “malware.� Other terms you will see are “adware� and “spyware.�
In general, Geekboy suggests the following steps for all malware related problems. If the first step doesn’t work, try the next one.
1) Uninstall the software. On a PC you would go Control Panel and then “Add-Remove Software� and try to find the offending program and uninstall it.
2) Go to your PC’s start button, click “runâ€? and in the field type “msconfig.â€? The Microsoft configuration tool will pop up. Click the “startupâ€? tab. Deselect everything you don’t recognize; you only need ScanRegistry, TaskMonitor, SystemTray LoadPowerProfile and your anti-virus program. Click “applyâ€? and then restart your computer when asked.
3) Download and run an adware removal tool. It is a good idea to run one of these, like Lavasoft’s Ad-Aware, every month or so. The “personalâ€? edition is free and is all you will need. You can also try Trend Micro’s Housecall, an online scanner that is also free.
4) If you’ve gotten this far without successfully removing the offending software you have a more serious problem. It means the software has installed itself more deeply into your system registry. If you are running Windows XP and have the “System Restoreâ€? option activated you can choose a restore point prior to the time you installed the software.
5) If the System Restore option does not appeal to you, it’s time to get medieval! Download the mini-program Hijack This!. The program will scan your computer and reveal all running processes, even the hidden ones. Once you have completed a scan, save the log file. Generally, users post their log in a forum and get help from skilled users. A search indicates others have had this problem, so we are in luck. After running Hijack This! look for any entries that say “MediaPipeâ€? or “AltPayment.â€? Check the box next to them and then click “fix”.
Your problem should be solved.
Geekboy to the rescue!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
My name’s Geekboy. I have a real name but, due to various restraining orders, I’m not allowed to use it within 100-meters of a working Internet connection.
I know a thing or two about computers and other techy gadgets, and have even been known to edit a story or two for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. I am tight with the Vent Guy, I am the only person he trusts in the building.
But enough about me. Let’s talk about you.
If you are anything like my friends, the so-called “Information Ageâ€? has you a little baffled. That’s OK. Not everyone spent sleepless nights cuddled up with an Altair 8800 circuit board.
I did.
To save you from the shame of getting romantic with the kind of silicon you won’t find in Pamela Anderson, I created this blog.
Ask me something you are scared to ask in person.
I will give you a straight answer on anything geeky, and on a few other things besides. The blog will demystify computers, computer problems, programming, the Internet, and my penchant for sleeping at my desk. I am not an expert, but I know enough to repair or ruin your motherboard.
I’ve mentioned my friends. They are nice people, but when younger, they made the tragic mistake of thinking computers were a fad.
We’ll use a recent question from one of them to get the blog rolling.
Q: Do you ever get a computer virus? A: No.
That was simple!
OK, maybe I have gotten a few. But I don’t like admitting it. Here is what I tell my friends, who have more viri than the CDC.
If you use a PC, you need a firewall and some sort of anti-virus program. You also should quit using certain programs, like the web browser Microsoft Internet Explorer and the e-mail client Outlook Express, which hackers take supreme delight in turning against you. I suggest folks use Mozilla’s free products, which are less prone to be the victim of a Russian teen’s cyberstunt.
Firewall: Windows XP has a firewall built in but it is not very good because Windows itself is a security hazard (see hacker comment above). A better software solution is the free ZoneAlarm. There are likely other options as well, but I don’t have time to look for them.
Software firewalls are like dating your cousin, however. You know it’s wrong.
For real protection you want a hardware firewall, which is a standard feature of most routers. If you have not gone wireless in your home or small business, then get a wireless router with a hardware firewall.
Be sure to deny WAN pings! (Cryptic foreshadowing to a potential future blog).
Antivirus: I’ve been using Avast since it was available only in Czech. Confusing? Sure. But it worked and the price was right. It’s still free, still updated as often as more famous products (Norton, McAfee) and still free. Did I mention it was free?
If you use a Macintosh, you probably think this blog is quite humorous. But even Macs can get a virus, it is said. You can probably just use the firewall that comes with OSX and the free anti-virus program listed below and call it a day.
If you are running Linux or FreeBSD you don’t need my help.
Good luck. Don’t open attachments or e-mail from folks you don’t recognize. The best software in the world cannot save you from yourself.
Links:
Free web browser (Firefox) and e-mail client (Thunderbird): http://www.mozilla.org
Free software firewall for PCs http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp
Free PC anti-virus program: http://www.avast.com
Free MAC anti-virus program: http://www.clamxav.com/
The Legend of Geekboy
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Geekboy has been interested in computers since his dad brought NASA punchcards home from work in the 1960s. Things really took off in the late 1970s, when, after a move from Florida, Santa dropped an Atari 800, one of the first commonly available personal computers, down a chimney in Berrien County, the Silicon Valley of South Georgia.
After a rigorous education having nothing to do with computers at Valdosta State College, Geekboy needed money so became a reporter, circa 1992. His ability to type quickly and keep most of the facts straight led him from Valdosta to Cordele, Tifton, and finally, in 1999, the big city itself – Atlanta.
Despite a byline count in the thousands, Geekboy, now an assistant editor with the Metro section of the AJC, never forgot his first love. Over the years, he designed what was probably the first newspaper Web site in the state, built dozen of computers, learned various programming languages, developed an online gameworld, and spent a good portion of his life explaining computers and technology to others.
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