Embeding an mp3 on any webpage
December 1, 2008
Thanks to Amit Agarwal for his post on how to embed an mp3 using Google Reader’s player.
The Google Reader player has volume control,auto-detects the song length, and has a time slider for jumping around in the track.
The code for the player is:
“<”embed type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” src=”http://www.google.com/reader/ui/3247397568-audio-player.swf?audioUrl=MP3_FILE_URL” width=”400″ height=”27″ allowscriptaccess=”never” quality=”best” bgcolor=”#ffffff” wmode=”window” flashvars=”playerMode=embedded” /”<”
Removing the quotes around the <
Replace MP3_FILE_URL with the link to your mp3 file.
This adheres very well to the K.I.S.S. principle, or the Fischer Price principle. Which ever you want to call it.
Multiple computer syncronicity, file versioning, and un-delete.
September 15, 2008
I’m on vacation, so I’m catching up on all the cool sites that have launched recently. A theme emerged quickly from the file sharing, online backup sector. Mozy is officially old school. Dropbox is now my favorite new app. Mozy simply backs up files for un-delete or replacement to another machine, in a very awkward way. As I’ve had to use it a couple of times, and it wasn’t fun to figure out how to get files replaced from one machine onto another machine.
Dropbox not only makes this easy, but does with multiple machines continuously. Setting up was easy, and setting up again was even easier. I started setup on my desktop, and then did it again on my laptop. I was going on a short weekend trip and planned to do a little homework (online MBA program). Perfect time to test out something new.
Without even thinking I had saved a partially written post to my desktop (which is a synced folder since it’s my working palate most of the time.) Usually I save my post to GoogleDocs, but not this time. The prof. required APA format for the paper so Word it was. Word with it’s desktop centric anchors. I opened my laptop and while waiting for it to come alive I remembered I had saved to my desktop and not to GoogleApps. Oh, but wait, that’s supposed to be synced w/ my laptop. So, I logged in, got online and waited. About fifteen seconds later my partially written post was open and ready for me to finish it. Technology making life simpler.
Before I settled on Dropbox I also looked at Syncplicity. Looks identical on the surface. And maybe they are, but Dropbox was smart in highlighting their un-delete and versioning tools. Good bye Mozy, it was nice knowing you.
Dropbox has public sharing, photo sharing, and makes some great opportunities for remote workforce collaboration. I could see SharePoint document libraries getting replaced.
Google Chrome
September 2, 2008
While I have only opened it, tried to view some of the demo videos (which say they’re no longer available?), and loaded my gmail, it is promising that Google’s new browser will be a good product to have around. If nothing else it pushes every other browser out there making them all better for us.
I’m a Google convert. Yep, I used to be all MS, but in the last six months I’ve gone google. Nothing has reinforced my decision to do this more than my weekend move from a laptop to a desktop as my main machine. I took a fresh install of Vista Ultimate and in a matter of a day’s worth of my time I’m running both machines off the same file base.
No moving email programs and history, no moving images files back and forth, no moving spreadsheets, docs, or anything else. Now, I’m not doing all of that totally with Google. My image files are local on my NAS. But, they are reachable from anywhere.
How great it is to have the horsepower of desktop for graphics and video, and the portability of a 4 pound laptop, and never worry about not having a file or program synchronized or missing all together.
I didn’t intend for this to be a ‘cloud computing’ post, but I think Chrome is going to turn more than this post into discussions about this subject.
My favorite online back-up service Mozy is taking advantage of HP’s problems with their recently launched Upline service to give some big discounts both to new sign-ups and any users who might be looking around for a more reliable alternative. For those that sign up they save 25% off One or Two Year Unlimited Online Backup Accounts at Mozy.
There’s two packages that they are discounting: One year of Unlimited Online Storage for $60 – 1 month free – 25% coupon = $41. Or two years of Unlimited Online Storage for $120 – 3 months free – 25% coupon = $79.
For either one, use Coupon Code: UPLINE during signup to get the savings. This coupon will be valid only for a very short time.
TripIt | Organize your travel
April 4, 2008
This is the coolest thing I’ve seen in the travel arena. Technology operating in a way that actually makes life easier is tech I love. This not only makes life easier, it also passes "The Fischer Price Test" for easy use and function. I’ve got a trip to Orlando next week with plane reservations, rental car, and hotel. I forwarded my confirmation emails to ‘plans@tripit.com’ and this site pulled the relevant info from each email creating one logically organized and useful itinerary. All with out even setting up an account (which are free if you so desire one.)
If you’ve ever read "never eat alone" by Keith Ferrazzi this would go well with that book. You can invite friends and colleagues to use it and it will tell you if, when, and where you’re paths will cross if set to do so.
One downside, at least in my opinion, is it only gives the average weather for your destinations. It’s says Orlando’s average for next week will be 52/32, while a quick check shows forecast of high 70′s and low 60′s, for highs and lows respectively. Drastic difference. Their FAQ page admits this, and states this is because forecast are only good for about one week into the future. So, give us the real forecast seven days out, and the average for anything longer than that.
You can also send an email from your phone to get your itinerary emailed back to you, with options set by what you include in your email subject line. I’m sure we’ll SMS coming soon with briefer details.
I highly recommend this if you travel any at all. If you’re like my Dad who has 3-4 trips a week I could see this as indispensable.
Thanks to JoelOnSoftware.com for the find.
OpenDNS | Providing A Safer And Faster Internet
March 30, 2008
I was watching DL.TV on Tivo a couple weeks ago and saw them review OpenDNS. After using is just over two full weeks I love it. It takes the need for protective software on each pc away, and taking it to the entry point of your network. Making it difficult for kids, or adults, to stumble onto unwanted web site.
The sites that are listed within each category are human classified, by OpenDNS staff and OpenDNS users. You can blacklist or whitelist individual sites easily. I had to whitelist Flickr because it fell under ‘nudity’ which was blocked.
Another wonderful feature is it’s faster than the DNS most ISPs provide. (By the way the the DL.TV video summarizes DNS very well.)
Samsung finally released WM6 for the BlackJack I
January 23, 2008
I wouldn’t have believed it, if I hadn’t downloaded it w/ my own mouse. Windows Mobile 6 for the original BlackJack has been released. I’m waiting until this evening to upgrade my phone to it, but I’m excited to see how it turned out. I used the leaked ROM for about three months, until my phone went bad and was replaced. I didn’t feel like messing w/ the leaked ROM again so I used WM5.
I really missed some of the Exchange features in the leaked version, but hated the defaulting back to the home screen every time you didn’t keep it engaged. Also hated not having the long press to get the symbols on the keys.
Samsung released the update at 5pm EST today, and
Release date for BlackJack WM6 Set – Samsung – Wireless Forums from AT&T
September 17, 2007
Looks like it’s going to be another two weeks. Or, at least another two weeks to figure out how to keep the hype up. When they announce that BJ’s are shipping w/ WM6 I’ll start looking for the release to the rest of us.
Until then, I’ll keep using this version of the beta release.
Release date for BlackJack WM6 Set – Samsung – Wireless Forums from AT&T
OSCON 2005 Keynote – Identity 2.0
September 11, 2007
Dick Hardt does a nice job of introducing and quickly explaining Identity 2.0. (The presentation style is entertaining, but needs polished. I don’t think it deserves some of the raves it’s getting.)
Also check out the follow up presentation, which more fully explains ID2.0. It’s worth the time to watch these.
I reference the first presentation in my previous post about Identity 2.0.
What is Twitter Doing Today?
August 29, 2007
The ice cream man just got a new bell on his Jeep. He sets up a twitter feed and all the people on his route can subscribe. The kids won’t have to worry about missing him because the Play Station is turned up too loud. Their phone will buzz and let them know he’s around the corner and coming their way.
Next thing we’ll hear is about a drug dealer who was arrested after he twittered his location to the police.
Shifting gears: I think there could be a big business for someone to really develop an automated way to mine this data and then sell it to retailers. What a great startup that would be. After Googling it I only found a couple real entries (Compete, twitterverse, and Jeff Barr) about data mining twitter, or twitter mining as it’s starting to be called. People are just talking about the possibilities; no one (that’s easily visible to the public) is doing anything to capitalize on it, yet.
If you could grab brand names, locations, and verbs, you could start selling individual contact info to retailers looking to sell to a highly targeted audience.
Brand Names would be easy to sell, picking up on everyone that twittered about Nike you could sell those to Nike or other retailers similar to them. Nike being the first choice of course. I realize there would be some negative mentions of a brand, but I think you could create filters to look for those based on word position to key negatives.
Locations would be tougher. First you could combine this with the brand data and localize your offerings to specific stores. This would work great for trial runs and for large chains to get their feet wet with. Location alone could be used for food sellers. Using twitters in both directions. The mined data could allow restaurants or food sellers to find people who are consistently in their area during the eating times of day and send them a coupon. In reverse you could have delivery guys setup w/ twitter feeds. Customers subscribe so that when the delivery guy (or girl) is going to be in their ‘neighborhood’ they could send an advanced twitter offering them free deliver or reduced food cost if they order and have it delivered at the same time as the first order. It would save multiple trips to the same neighborhood, and would increase the ROI on deliveries in general.
Verbs would be the hardest at first, but as you refined it they could be the most successful. Picking up on words like “hungry” and combining it with location would allow local eateries to shoot a coupon. Or if you were “going to watch a Springfield Cardinals game tonight” you might get contacted with a coupon for the game tonight.
