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Episode 35: Computer Musicmaking
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Find out how to make music on your computer with the Gurus of Cool, and also find out about the latest gadget coolness. You'll also hear about new solar-powered backlit house numbers, graphics cards, watching your TiVo from anywhere and the latest MacBook and Alienware laptops.
Features by the Gurus of Cool
Alienware MJ-12 m7700a Mobile Workstation
by Charlie White
The Alienware MJ-12 m7700a ($4293 as tested) is a desktop replacement laptop that's intended for serious gamers and content creators. Our test unit arrived with an AMD Opteron 185 processor inside, a 64-bit dual-core chip running at 2.6GHz that's normally used in desktops. Loaded with two 7200rpm hard drives and 2GB of RAM, this notebook was ready for just about any content creation chores we threw at it. We ran our complement of benchmark tests on the Alienware MJ-12, we carried it around with us, and we used it in a variety of situations. Here's our review. ...Read More »
Keynote 3.0
by Stephen Schleicher
If you haven’t checked out Keynote 3.0, then you are missing out on one of the best presentation applications out there. Keynote 3.0 is designed to limit the text on the screen and encourage the use of graphics. In a recent article written by Carmine Gallo, he points out that there are great presenters out there – one of them being Steve Jobs. And when you follow the steps Gallo suggests make for a great presentation, Keynote 3.0 supports them all. ...Read More »
Verbatim FlashDisc: Cheap Pass-Along Storage
by Charlie White
Floppy disks have nearly become extinct, and not a moment too soon. You won't find many consumers grieving the passing of those 1.4MB-holding, slow-as-molasses storage devices. But wait. Come to think of it, those old floppy disks served a niche that hasn't been filled since their demise. What if you want to give somebody a small amount of data, say, 2MB of stuff? What about 10MB? There's a need for storage that's small, disposable, cheap, but able to hold more than a floppy disk. That's where Verbatim 16MB Rewritable FlashDiscs ($19.99 for 3) can serve a useful purpose. ...Read More »
ACID Pro 6 Reclaims the Throne
by Frank Moldstad
ACID Pro 6 is da bomb. Now a full-fledged DAW application, ACID Pro 6 has complete multitrack recording capabilities which are so well-integrated that experienced ACID Pro users may need to rethink how they use the program in their workflow. And there are many other new ingredients that make ACID Pro 6 the best-ever version of a program that inspired a generation of loopers. ...Read More »
Show Note Links
Matterinc Solar LED House Numbers
DIY Theatre
Create Digital Music
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Rapid-Fire Roundup® of Cool Products
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Solio Universal Solar Charger
The Solio Universal Solar Charger is a solar-powered battery and charger for iPods, cell phones and other mobile electronic devices. All you do is connect the cable to your device, press a button and let it charge away.
aXbo Sleep Phase Alarm Clock
Here's an alarm clock that keeps track of your sleep cycles and figures out the best time to wake you up. You wear a terry cloth wristband that wirelessly communicates with the alarm clock, and then when the clock senses that you've entered a light sleep phase, it wakes you up within a 30-minute window of your desired wake-up time. I gotta try this one. This new technology doesn't come cheap, though, it's $240.
CD Wallpaper
At some point your CD collection is going to become useless. Instead of tossing them away, why not turn them into stylish wall art? This wall sleeve will hold up to 24 discs that you can mount to your wall. Change them out as your music styles change, and best of all you don’t have to repaint the wall to redecorate your room.
About Time Clock
The About Time Clock looks like a plate supported by a pyramid underneath, and it tells you the time by rolling clockwise on the table. The part of that circle that touches the tabletop is where you read the time. Wondering what time it is? Take a look at the About Time Clock, and you can plainly see, "it's around eight or so."
Tune Juice iPod Battery Extender
If your iPod is out of power and you don’t have your charger handy, check out the iPod battery extender from Tune Juice. Powered by a 9-volt battery, an iPod with a partial charge will play an additional 8 hours, while a completely drained battery will play for four. Plenty of time to get to your base of operations and charge your music player.
Adobe Carrying Case
Adobe is designing messenger bags, and this nicely-put-together carrying case is just about cool enough for a guy to carry around. Perfect for pens, keys, laptops, cables and MP3 players, this one has the Adobe logo on it and is offered in a limited edition. Better get out that credit card, though, the thing costs $250.
"Week after week, Stephen and Charlie boil down the morass of tech info into solid gold nuggets of information, with a dash of opinion thrown in. Nothing sterile here, they have timely hard-hitting news each week. "
"With all the information out there, it can sometimes be overwhelming to filter the signal from the noise. These guys send the signal loud and clear! Great podcast!"
"You can tell by listening to them they know their stuff and they're not fooled by hype. They calls 'em as they sees 'em. These two have reached escape coolosity!"
"Stephen Schleicher is very knowledgable about his technology and I can only assume he would surround himself with like company. Which is why I think Stephen and Charlie definitely know what they are talking about in the venue of tech tips and reviews. They rock my face off!"
This week's featured music:
"Cherry Red "
by Springhill
LINKS
Charlie White
Verbatim
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