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Why Lubuntu?
Lubuntu is a version of Ubuntu with the LXDE desktop instead of Unity. I am not a Unity hater, I actually like Unity a lot. I just like LXDE more.
LXDE is a desktop focused on performance and keeping out of your way. It is based on GTK+, so in practice it is similar to GNOME or Unity.
I have to admit it is not yet as polished as those other desktop environments, especially the preferences tools are not as consistent and simple as the ones in normal Unity. Since I am the kind of person who ignores the desktop tools anyway and installs my own choice of programs, it doesn't really matter a great deal.
The LXDE and Lubuntu projects are relatively new and have quite small teams (after all, the more well known GNOME project started in 1997).
If you are interested in writing software for the open source desktop, there seems to be a lot of niches unfilled, a lot more opportunities to make an impact in this kind of project.
I often read articles on the web recommending LXDE for old computers, where is does work much better than more hungrier desktops. Indeed I started using Lubuntu because a computer was struggling with Unity, so I replaced it with Lubuntu and it became a lot more responsive.
However, the same theory applies to new computers too, why waste RAM and processor cycles on stuff you are not even using 99% of the time?
The RAM and processor are there to run the programs I want. The desktop environment, and the operating system in general, should use as little resources as possible.
Currently, Lubuntu has now become the main operating system I use on almost all my computers. I have not tried other LXDE desktops, such as those from Debian or Fedora, I would be very interested in how they compare to Lubuntu.
Ubuntu on Macbook Pro Retina
Yesterday I installed Lubuntu on the Macbook Pro Retina 13 inch. (MacBookPro10,2). I am going to talk about it here. It will be useful for installing normal Ubuntu, or other Linux based distribution on this model of laptop. At the level of hardware support, all flavours of Ubuntu are the same, regardless of the desktop environment.
There are some dire posts on the web saying installing Ubuntu on this machine is impossible. This is not true.
Installing on Macbook Pros are always a bit more involved than PC laptops, partly because Apple is very innovative and always uses the most up to date hardware, it doesn't seem to care much about compatibility with other hardware or even with its own older products. However, it also does not share its plans or co-operate much, so by the time that the support has got down to the Linux distributions, Apple has completely changed its product line again for the next Christmas.
I found this laptop much easier actually than when my last Macbook Pro come out a couple of years ago, that was a bit of a disaster until support made it into the distributions. I have been using Linux since the late 1990s so I remember some really difficult installs.
Of course it is all relative, it is not as easy as building a desktop of extremely Linux compatible parts (e.g. Intel everything). In that kind of situation, you can put a kettle on, put in the Ubuntu CD and it is finished before you can make a cup of tea. Intel seems to make sure its hardware is supported in Linux before it is released.
If you want that kind of install then, yes, you are out of luck, get a different laptop, maybe one with Linux pre-installed.
Here we are talking more like two hours or so for the install - or longer if you write lots of crap into your blog :)
For this laptop, the main problem is not the install, it is that the desktop environments are not yet geared up for such a high resolution, more on this topic later.
USB Boot
The first hurdle is to make a bootable USB stick. This model of Macbook Pro does not have a DVD drive. Therefore, making a bootable USB stick or bootable USB drive is next easiest thing. I tried two different approaches.
The first and simplest approach is to use the usb-creator-gtk application on an existing Linux system. This is a graphical tool that takes an ISO image which you download from the web (e.g. from the Lubuntu or Ubuntu websites)
The Macbook Pro seemed to be a bit fussy and hard to please regarding which USB sticks it agreed to boot. Best to gather all the ones you own and find one it likes. Before I did my final install, I played about with various distributions on various sticks. I did not notice any particular pattern or reason why some were rejected.
The other approach is to make the bootable USB stick on Mac OS X. This later approach requires a bit more typing but the Mac seems less likely to reject a USB stick it has formatted itself. The Macbook Pro did not refuse to boot any USB sticks using this method, however I did not do a scientific test so it might have just been luck.
Among other things, I tried both Lubuntu 12.10 and the daily build of the forthcoming Lubuntu 13.04. They seemed pretty identical, but it is still a long way until 13.04 is released.
As explained somewhere on this page, the process started with converting the Lubuntu iso into a disk image. I opened a Terminal on OS X (by clicking on the Finder then Applications then Utilities then Terminal), and then performed conversion using the hdiutil command. In my case:
hdiutil convert -format UDRW -o converted-ubuntu.dmg lubuntu-12.10-desktop-amd64+mac.iso
Then I had to use the Disk Utility to re-partition the USB stick to use the horrid Mac OS Extended format. Once I had done that, I used the dd command to copy the disk image to the USB stick:
sudo dd if=ubuntu.img.dmg of=/dev/disk1 bs=1m
That takes quite some time. Check out the article on warp1337 for much fuller instructions.
A note on Mac OS X's toy file system
I don't know if they have fixed it now, but in my previous experience, I have found that Mac OS X and its Mac OS Extended format does not defragment itself very well, especially compared to ext4. So after you have run OS X for a long time, the partition will be so fragmented that disk utility will refuse to reduce the size of the OS X partition. In this case the only solution is to reformat the partition and reinstall OS X before you try to install Linux.
If you are buying a Mac with the aim of installing Linux, then repartition the drive as soon as you can. If you want to delay installing Linux for some reason then keep it as FAT or some other generic format (you can get Mac OS X applications that give ext support). If you make it a Mac OS X extended format partition then OS X might start storing files there and will then break or moan once you replace the partition with ext4 or whatever.
Resize Mac Partitions
Now we have to make some space for Linux.
In previous versions of Mac OS X, the utility called "Boot Camp Assistant" would do a lot of the work here, since setting up a partition for Windows would work nicely for Linux too. In OS X 10.8, it wants a Windows DVD to be put in the non-existent DVD drive before it does any work. However, one useful thing Boot Camp Assistant still does is recommend how small you can make the OS X partition, which in my case was 29 GB. So in Boot Camp Assistant, pull the slider around to see what is recommended.
So we need to shrink the Mac OS X partition it and add a new FAT partition, which we will set aside for Linux, this is then reformatted as part of the Linux install. Don't worry about giving it a swap partition, you can live without it or use a swap file which works just as well.
[Now if like me, you have done it all before in older Macs, be aware. In previous versions, OS X took one partition. Now it actually takes three logical partitions for boot, root and recovery. However, this detail is hidden in the OS X disk utility which only shows one partition, and in the background, re-partitions the root partition and moves the recovery partition along too. I did not realise this and instead of doing the above with the FAT partition, just made free space and let the Ubuntu installer automatically install Linux in it. It kept the first two partitions and gave me Linux root and swap, deleting the recovery partition - frak! Do not make the same mistake, always make sure you have chosen manual partitioning in the installer program - and then double check. If you know how to make OS X put back the OS X recovery partition, please let me know by emailing zeth at the domain name of this site.]
Linux Install
So now all the boring stuff is done, shut down the computer.
If you have the Ethernet dongle, then it is best to plug it in now to an Ethernet connection.
Stick the USB stick in to the USB port and boot to the USB stick by hold down alt (also known as the Option key - but it says Alt on the key!) when you turn it on.
If all goes well, it offers you the choice of Windows! Take that and it will boot the Linux installer from the USB stick.
Choose manual partitioning and delete the FAT partition you made earlier. As said above, don't worry about swap right now. You can install a swap file later or just forget it. You have 8GB of RAM so hopefully swap will rarely be needed, and a solid state disk does not appreciate it anyway.
Your Linux install finishes, it reboots and ... nothing happens, OS X boots as before without any choice of Linux!
Now you have to install a boot menu. I installed rEFIt as I have done in the past and it worked fine. Then I read that there is the newer rEFInd. I got rid of rEFIt and installed rEFInd and it didn't seem to work and it was getting boring so I swapped back to rEFIt. Your mileage may vary.
Anyway, now you have three choices on boot: Mac OS X, Linux or some weird emergency prompt.
Choose Linux and Grub boots "in a galaxy far far away". Yes it is very very small!
The desktop of the Lilliputs
So there has not been a major or minor Ubuntu release since this laptop came out, and unlike some other friendly manufacturers, Apple do not make sure their hardware works with Linux before release (or in fact ever).
However, for now, there is no getting around that this is a very high resolution screen. You have a Linux desktop, but unlike any you have seen before.
There are two ways to work around this high resolution. One is to reduce the resolution in the monitor settings to a lower level, i and it didn't seem to work and it was getting boring so I swapped back to rEFIt. Your mileage may vary.
The second approach is to fiddle with the settings of the desktop environment to increase the font size and the size of the title bars and menus etc.
I went through all the Lubuntu Preferences menus changing the default font size from 11 to 20. So now I can at least read everything easily. Some of the icons and things are very undersized but I personally hate any visual evidence of the Operating System anyway. I prefer my whole screen to only show my running application, everything else goes away until I call for it. Most of the stock Lubuntu apps (which are mostly GNOME ones) handle this quite well. So far, the only non-bundled app I have got around to installing is Emacs which copes perfectly.
Hardware support
So one of the attractions of this 13-inch model is that it has an Intel graphics card. My old Macbook Pro one had an Nvidia card which needed some proprietary blob and used up the battery much faster than Mac OS X would. The idea was that it would fallback to another chip when on battery, but that feature was not supported when I first installed Linux to it and never got around to looking into it again.
I am not a hardcore gamer, so I always prefer an Intel graphics card over the fiddly proprietary ones. They have a long battery life and tend to just work.
I also prefer a Linux wifi chip but sadly this has some brand new Broadcom chip. So you have to install the wifi driver for it. This is obviously easier if you have the Ethernet dongle we talked about above, if not you will need to download it to a USB stick or something to get it onto the laptop.
Installing the wifi drivers is another few commands. It is explained some way down this page and in this page. Hopefully it will be packaged in the future distro releases.
To get the sound card to work correctly, I needed to open the ALSA config file:
And then I added the following line to the bottom of it:
options snd-hda-intel model=mbp101
Other things
That is it really. Only remaining jobs are to remap a key to be middle click and maybe reduce the sensitivity of the trackpad. These are issues of personal taste so I will leave them for now.
This post is a bit rough but I thought it was worth getting it online as soon as possible in case it helps someone.
Samsung Printers on Ubuntu
After installing the Lubuntu flavour of Ubuntu on most of my machines, I then had to remember how to setup the printer. This is a 'note to self' post, hopefully it might be useful to other people.
I don't print a lot. It it easy and cheap to order family photos online or print them at the local photo shop. But when I do want to print (e.g. boarding pass), I want it to work.
That is why I hate inkjet printers, they are so unreliable and fragile, and the cartridges run out very quickly. So a few years ago I bought a laserjet. They cost a little more but actually work.
I did not want a scanner attached to the top. Scanning is much easier with a separate scanner that you can manipulate into different positions.
I wanted something with only a black cartridge and to be as simple as possible. The extra buttons and features are just gimmicks that nobody really wants (and probably are hard to get going on Linux anyway). I didn't really care about having wifi or ethernet on the printer since it was expensive back then and, as long as the computer that the usb printer it is plugged into is turned on, Linux computers share usb printers very easily.
So I bought the Samsung ML-1915 which fitted the bill and love it. Everytime I see a friend or relative struggling with an inkjet I think fondly of my laserjet :) It once got completely covered in building dirt but cleaned up very well. It is has been a loyal piece of kit.
The world moves on and it has been replaced by more modern and cheaper printers like the Samsung ML-2165. It does not look quite so cool in white but it is half of the price so who cares.
Anyway my printer, like a lot of the Samsung printers, uses the Samsung Unified Linux Driver which for unknown reasons does not seem to be in Ubuntu by default, but it is pretty easy to install it.
Surprisingly enough, the Linux driver did come on a CD that came with the printer but it is easier to use the third party repository maintained at the bchemnet.com website.
Firstly you need to edit the sources list to add a repository, so open the file in your favourite editor:
sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list
Now add the following line:
deb http://www.bchemnet.com/suldr/ debian extra
Then we need to add the key for that repository:
wget -O - http://www.bchemnet.com/suldr/suldr.gpg | sudo apt-key add -
Then we need to update the list of packages available:
sudo apt-get update
Now we can finally install the driver:
sudo apt-get install samsungmfp-driver
It would be much easier if that package was in the standard repositories but there you go. Now you can just add the printer using the normal graphical tool in your system.
In Ubuntu, this is under "System Settings" then "Printing". In Lubuntu, this is under "System Tools" then "Printers". Or you can just put system-config-printer into the terminal.
Netbooks in a tablet world
The Guardian is ringing the death knell on the netbook. I would tell the story a little differently, so I will.
In the beginning was the $100 laptop dream
Before 2005, there were not many small factor laptops. I had the smallest Thinkpad, which was merely a smaller version of any other Thinkpad, which had a high end processor and lots of RAM, and it cost quite a bit back then. $1000-2000 dollars was the typical price for a laptop, and due to economies of scale, the then standard 15 inch screen laptop was always the cheapest model, smaller and larger sizes were a bit more expensive.
In 2005, the OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) X1 was announced - a $100 laptop aimed at children, with a special low power processor from AMD, running a version of Fedora Linux, with suitable proportions for a children. The X1 included a video camera, touch screen, sd card slot and wifi; features that were considered high end in 2005.
The dominant computer companies had a collective nervous breakdown at the mere concept of it. While everyone appreciated the new and noble idea of OLPC, the existing market leaders were extremely hostile to it. Microsoft lobbied departments of education around the world, telling them that if they bought their children non-Microsoft devices then their future careers would be ruined forever, etc, etc.
Meanwhile Intel did something a little more positive in that it dusted off its shoes and worked with hardware manufacturers to get Intel powered devices to the market. The first was ASUS with its educational "Classmate PC", and the consumer oriented counterpart the Eee PC.
Until this point, the trend of processor manufacturing was towards increasingly more powerful (and hungrier) processors. Intel didn't even have a suitably efficient chip so it under clocked its lowest laptop processor from 900 MHz to 630 MHz. Later it would get its act together with its Atom chip, but a little late as ARM based chips had already gotten most of the market.
Nobody cared about the Classmate PC, but despite the stupid name, the Eee PC was a big hit. Despite the bizarre 1980s style border around the screen, the early 701 series models were great, they had solid state drives and cost around £200. They were also light enough to use while holding them up, unlike the bulky laptops a lot of people still had back then.
It might not sound it like it now, but in 2007 it seemed really cool that with a netbook, you did not bother with a specialised multi-pocket laptop bag, it was not a chore to throw it into your backpack and keep it with you at all times. If the worst came to the worst and it was lost or stolen, £200 is rather less of a shock than £1000-2000.
Meanwhile, the OLPC project has had some solid achievements, and 2.5 million kids using the XO laptops, but the initial excitement and the wide coalition of support faded out, and it has not yet managed to overcome the political and monopolistic obstacles to a global roll out. It also never got into the required production volumes to be exactly $100 per unit. If you are a department of education, especially a developing world country, $100 per child is already a lot, a $200 dollar laptop for each child proved to be out of the question. [They always seem to have enough money for military jets and nuclear programmes though!].
This is is a shame because the Sugar interface is a fantastic learning tool for children. Maybe its time is still to come. They are trying to pull everyone back together for the launch of the new iteration, the XO-4, sometime this year.
Netbooks and dodgy Linux pre-installs
A lot of other manufacturers brought out 'netbooks', we were given an Acer Aspire One by a relative, and some of them, including the Eee PC, came with Linux. What I have never understood about netbooks, is that they always came with an unknown and slightly crap form of Linux, with almost no decent applications on them.
In the wider desktop and laptop markets, Linux users tend to install Linux distributions as an after-market upgrade, sidelining or wiping out completely the redundant copy of Windows install that came pre-installed with the computer. It is an extremely competitive market; at the time of writing this article, the DistroWatch website lists 314 currently available Linux distributions.
A lot of these are hobbyist or specialist efforts, but out of this whirlwind come a handful of really big ones, that the majority of Linux users actually have installed. Ignoring distributions aimed at technically proficient users such as Gentoo, Arch, and Slackware, the big ones include Ubuntu, Fedora, SuSE, Debian, Mandriva and Mint.
These are all free, so why didn't the netbook manufactures install these? They have a proven track record of usability and popularity and existing teams working on improving them. If Ubuntu alone has 20 million users already, then why not sell what these people want? The highly innovative world of Linux, with things constantly forking and splitting, probably does not make it easy for manufacturers, but the big brands like Fedora and Ubuntu are pretty stable participants. Fedora's backer Redhat had its famous IPO in 1999 and is a S&P 500 company.
I have no idea why laptop manufacturers and the big Linux distributions have not done a better job at working together. Of course, there is obviously a massive obstacle in the entrenched Windows monopoly and the marketing budget that Windows gets from its monopoly profits.
Small companies who pre-install Linux on computers as a boutique service for time-poor Linux users are not readily assisted by the manufacturers of the laptops. Dell had a half-effort at selling Ubuntu laptops, but not in the UK, maybe that will increase. Canonical now seems to be having some new efforts on working with manufacturers with regard to tablets so we will see how that pans out.
In the mean time, what people commonly call "Real Linux" distributions have been completely overtaken by the rise of Android, as we will come to shortly.
2007-2010 - The short reign of the netbook
Despite some promising signs, the netbook boom ended pretty quickly. I agree with the Guardian article on that to a certain extent.
As the Guardian points out, the first major blow was specification creep. The computer hardware industry's habits would not die easily, and they soon watered down the concept. Instead of a small fast portable computer with a web browser, simple fast applications, no moving parts, and costing £200, they soon reverted to type: to make Windows and its accompanying bloatware perform decently required better hardware, regular hard drives replaced solid state storage, whirring fans came back, battery run times collapsed, and they soon crept back up to £300-400.
Going further than the Guardian article, I would add here that the second and more important blow was a lack of software innovation. Microsoft worked hard to make sure Windows got the lion's share of pre-installs, but it did not attempt to do anything innovative in the netbook space. It provided either the dated Windows XP (launched in 2001), or a crippled version of its later systems. It did not attempt to create software relevant to a low powered portable device. So the majority of netbooks were sold with software not particularly designed for it.
The third and fatal blow was the launch of the iPad in 2010, and then the arrival of even better Android tablets. A lot of computer users are passive information consumers, and short form and asynchronous interactions of the social networking boom are not inhibited by the lack of a physical keyboard. Unlike netbooks, tablets managed to free themselves from the Windows baggage and have specially tailed operating systems.
Tablets and phones fatally bisect the netbook market; occasional and light users can just use tablets and phones, professionals can afford the $1000 small factor laptops, 'Ultrabooks™' as Intel calls them.
However, I think the fact that netbooks were sold with unsuitable Windows operating systems was the biggest factor. I think with the right tailored software, netbooks can be useful tools.
The rise of Android and Chrome
While the "Real Linux" distributions were mostly ignored by the manufacturers. In an act of genius that we almost have come to expect from Google as a matter of routine, it got the concept of commodity computing and used it as a way to increase usage of its own services. Android and Chrome are technically Linux, but all the common applications are replaced by Google's own offerings, and whatever crap the manufacturer adds on.
Long time Linux users were initially not impressed they could not easily use their existing applications and the fact that it launched with a Java only development environment alienated a lot of C and Python developers on the Linux platform who felt lobotomised by it. Over the last five years, the Linux community has mostly come to terms with Android.
Android is the most successful distribution in the history of open source software. Don't get me wrong, I like it a lot, I have Android devices and I love them in their own way, but it is not want I really want for my primary computing device. This would take another whole article to explain but Android is Linux but with all the joie de vivre, the joy and enthusiasm, sucked out of it. Also, I still it is relatively early days in open source software, the big game changing Linux device has not been invented yet.
Here is where I have to really depart from the Guardian article, they claim that no netbooks are being released. Well I think that must be a pretty narrow definition of a netbook.
Chromebooks, netbooks with Google stuff preinstalled rather than Microsoft's, are the second incarnation of netbooks. Because Chromebooks use a special BIOS and bootloader, it is currently a bit of a faff installing your own Linux distribution, but it is possible and hopefully it will get easier over time if the distros find some easier way of installing on Chromebooks.
So from the perspective of a Linux user, despite the initial faff, Ubuntu on an Acer Chromebook is little different than running Ubuntu on an Acer Aspire. For me Chromebooks are still netbooks.
Netbooks will not die
For me the netbook format is still relevant and will not die (yet at least).
Tablets are like small babies, you have to hold them all the time, I haven't mastered the art of propping the iPad up. Even bespoke stands are never around the moment you want to put the tablet down. Giving a presentation from a tablet or a phone not only requires being very organised - it is hard to make last minute changes from a tablet, it is also quite expensive to get a VGA connector for them (and you have to not lose it).
I know it is not trendy, but sometimes you just want to use physical keys. I do have a very nice bluetooth keyboard for my Android powered Samsung S3, but Emacs does not work very well on it, it is not ported very well and Android's own features try to take over. Although I will hopefully get over some of these problems over time.
At the moment I am very lucky to have a high end laptop due to the nature of my job. However in general, I am a desktop type of guy. I like buying the components and screwing them together. I like being able to stick more RAM in later when it becomes cheaper. I like being able to scavenge for spare parts and turning three broken machines into two working ones. I like two full sized monitors.
I hate it when expensive laptops break, in general these are not fixable at home and have to be sent away, which can be as expensive as a netbook, but is also inconvenient being without it for several weeks.
For me a netbook is a very nice complement to the desktop/home media server type setup. It works enough offline, and with a good connection I can use the full power of my home desktop remotely. If it breaks it is less of a problem, being £200 to replace.
Lets have a look at some Chromebooks.
The cheapest current Chromebook seems to be the Acer C7 Chromebook which at $200 and £200 is a pretty unfair currency conversion, it certainly one to buy while in the US, or perhaps have posted from a US seller if you are not in a hurry. I like the fact it has VGA (for projectors) and HDMI (for TVs) and still has an ethernet port (for plugging into a wired network) which is rare this days. It is not lacking in power with an over-generous 2GB of RAM. It has a massive 320GB old fashioned hard drive, which you will either love (lots of storage and less fear of disk corruption) or hate (it is a moving part which can make noise and potentially fail). I personally would prefer a small solid state drive.
If you get through the Chromebook bootloader hassle and successfully get Linux installed, since it has an Intel processor and graphics, it should work pretty well. Intel graphics is a plus since Intel stuff normally works automatically without the need for a proprietary driver (but then I am not a gamer, Linux gamer types always seem to get Nvidia graphics). It does not say what the wifi chip is, if it is Intel too then all the better.
More expensive, but at least with a sane UK price, at $325 or £230 is the Samsung Chromebook. It also has 2GB of RAM but it is slim and fanless with a 16GB solid state drive and bluetooth.
So in many ways it is a better machine than the Acer but it is ARM, which is the trendy thing but there is no support for hardware accelerated graphics at the moment for Linux on this ARM chip and some proprietary software might not work either if it does not have an ARM binary, if you rely on Skype or Flash or something, you might want to check if these work on ARM. However, Michael Larabel of Phoronix has reported good things about it.
Both seem nice but neither are the perfect netbook.
Less is more
Fundamentally, I think these are still too high expensive and in that sense, netbooks have not really begun yet.
Of course when compiling software or doing video editing or whatever, one still wants the best computer possible. However, If I was designing a netbook, I would accept that in 2013, you are likely to have many computing devices - phones, tablets, smart TVs, desktops and games consoles and so on. I would explicitly make it good at being a cheap portable laptop you sling in your backpack.
The 'Zethbook' would be a small factor laptop with modest (32GB or 64GB) solid state drive and preferably no fans or other moving parts, with no more than 1.0 GHz processor, and no more than 1GB of RAM, preferably with Intel graphics or some other Linux supported chipset.
The Zethbook could then be incrementally improved in other ways that do not involve unnecessary bloating up the cost and power usage, as battery technology improves but the processor stays the same, why not 100 hours of usage? Why not 1000 hours? Make it sandproof for the beach, make it waterproof so you spill a whole glass of soda over it or use it in the shower. Make the keyboard better, improve the screen resolution, make it more user modifiable. Improve the shock resistance so it can cope with being accidentally dropped open with the screen hitting the floor first, let it be bike proof and fall off the handlebars at 20 mph and hit the road without damage. Let it fall out of a car window at 60 mph.
It is great that computers get more powerful every year, but I think it is a bit too one-sided. The international Space Station runs on the 386 processor which was brought out in 1985. The Linux kernel and GNU GCC compiler are now starting to remove support for it now, but the 386 is still (in theory) usable with Linux for a while longer. Going forward in time, with an efficient choice of operating system, 95% of things can be done on a Pentium 4 computer from 2000. It is just lazy programming that requires bloated systems all the time.
Sadly you won't see the Zethbook any time soon. Boards aside, the OpenPandora (warning: linked web page has sound) is the nicest complete Linux device I have seen so far, it is a handheld game console costing over $500. It is not that easy to get the price down without being made by the biggest manufacturers like Asus, Acer or Samsung etc.
The Raspberry Pi Model B is perfectly usable at 512 MB and 700 Mhz (twice as powerful as the original version of the OLPC XO). The Raspberry Pi Model B is $35. Granted it does not have a keyboard (cheap) or a screen (expensive) or wifi, but we can still imagine a portable device for $100, which of course, is the OLPC dream that started the netbook story. I am quite interested in those who are putting the Raspberry Pi in home made mobile forms and may follow that up in a future post.
Let me know your thoughts on netbooks. Do you love or hate the netbook. Will you miss its passing if it does die out? Do you like or hate the idea of Chromebooks?
Zoneminder on Ubuntu
Ever thought about building your own CCTV system? All you need is free and open source software Zoneminder, a free Linux distribution such as Ubuntu, Lubuntu or Debian, an old PC and a camera.
What is Zoneminder?
Zoneminder is an open source application used for CCTV and other security and surveillance applications. You can use it to monitor your home or work property or to monitor your pets while you are out, whatever you can imagine really (look at the screenshots on the Zoneminder homepage for more ideas).
The implementation is basically a Perl/PHP web app using Apache and MySQL (LAMP as we call it in the trade). If you have ever set up a website or blog or something then you will understand it instantly. It is a nice concept as using shared nothing web application and system administration principles it can scale up indefinitely to very large commercial uses.
If you are the kind of person who already has a home wifi or wired network and a home server or desktop on all the time, then Zoneminder will fit in great, as the only extra electricity you will be using will be the camera (or cameras) themselves.
Zoneminder is really flexible and configurable, which is fantastic but also means that you do have to configure it for your own needs. If you have quite a minimalist IT setup at home with no machines running most of the time (e.g. just a iPad in your Thames-side studio apartment), then using Zoneminder at home might be overkill, as you can probably buy a pre-made embedded home CCTV system that runs off a single plug and does not require configuration.
Zoneminder stores the recorded video as single frame images in a simple data layout on your filesystem and the web application allows you to configure it and view the cameras in real time and view recorded footage. The metadata is stored in the MySQL database.
What kind of camera do I need?
It seems you can use anything. If you have a simple USB webcam lying around at home, that is all you need to get started. If then you like Zoneminder you can then get a posher camera later if you want.
There different types of cameras depending on how serious you are. The more serious people put a card in their computer (such as the Hauppauge Impact VCB/PCI Composite AV Input card ) and use real high definition video cameras.
I personally use a 'netcam' (I have the model called TRENDnet SecurView Wireless N Internet Camera if you want to be precise) which is basically a webcam with a built in wireless card (and or ethernet socket). So you can put the camera anywhere you can power it and it will log onto your wireless network like any other device. You don't have to run AV cables back to your computer.
[The same advice that I always give concerning routers and other network devices applies here: if you buy such a netcam, check its website for any firmware updates, especially security updates, before you add the device to your network. These things are little network connected computers after all, containing a proprietary operating system. This system may have been written by a guy with a masters in network security from MIT, or it could have been written by a subcontractor earning £1 per hour in who knows where. The problem with all proprietary software is that there is no public peer review (unlike with open source software). So check the vendor for security updates.]
If a burglar manages to get in and picks up the netcam, there are no wires to follow back and so no clue as to where the images go. One can also use backup software or write a few bash scripts to copy images to a remote server or the cloud if you are in a high crime area. If you have a really good internet connection at both ends, you can put netcams in your relatives' houses and allow your Zoneminder server to grab the images off.
What kind of server do I need?
By 'server' in the article, I just mean the computer that will have Zoneminder installed, as opposed to any other computers, tablets, phones or even TVs you might use to operate the system on a day to day basis.
I suppose (in theory) you could use any operating system that can run Perl, Apache and Mysql. However, the assumption from here is that you will be using a Linux distribution, because Windows and OS X are, to put it bluntly, completely crap in this server role and a massive hassle to work with. If you have a Linux Desktop already at home, then that will probably work fine.
In my experience, the server does not need to particularly powerful for a simple home setup. I am using a low-powered PC from 2006 which runs Zoneminder and lots of other apps quite nicely.
You don't have to have a graphical system, you can use something like Ubuntu Server if you want. However, you will need some computer or phone with a web browser to control Zoneminder and view the saved images/video, this does not have to be a Linux computer (toy operating systems work fine as clients).
Source vs Packages
A couple of years ago I installed Zoneminder on Ubuntu 11.04 by downloading the source. Now over Christmas I had a spare 20 mins and re-installed the OS. I like backing up and reinstalling occasionally as it gives a nice clean system. This time I went for Ubuntu 12.10 in the Lubuntu flavour (I will talk about that in the future). Then I had to put all the data and programs back on.
Last time I installed Zoneminder from source, this time I thought I would try the Ubuntu packages. This guide should work for any Ubuntu or Debian type system, but your mileage may vary.
Lets get started.
Firstly, we need to install the zoneminder package, you can do this in the graphical "software centre" or you can just open a terminal and use this command:
sudo apt-get install zoneminder
On a fresh system without Mysql, it will ask you to set a Mysql root password. Next it configures the nullmailer mail relay, I just accepted the default answers. Then it stops returns control of the shell.
Apache settings
Now we need to let Apache know what is going on. If you are already using Apache to show websites on this system, you can integrate Zoneminder in a way that does not clash with your other sites.
However, on a fresh system, you can do this:
sudo ln -s /etc/zm/apache.conf /etc/apache2/conf.d/zoneminder.conf
sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 reload
Now when you go in your web browser to http://localhost/zm/ you can now see the console.
If you have installed Zoneminder to a non-graphical server distribution, then obviously use the IP address or domain name instead of localhost when you access Zoneminder from your external computer or phone or whatever.
Camera Setup
When you click on Add New Monitor, you get a web form that looks like this:
The most important field here is "source type", the setting chosen affects the options available in the source tab (see below). Since I am using a netcam, I set it to remote.
Another important field is 'Function'. Modect is short for 'motion detect', it records when there is motion, other options include constantly recording and just monitoring without recording.
Now we come onto the source tab, as shown below:
This window allows you to define the hostname of your camera. So for a netcam we give it the host name of the camera, which in a home setup will probably be a private ip address (e.g. 192.168.x.x). Look up your camera on the Supported hardware section of the Zoneminder wiki to find what settings you need to add here.
Log driven configuration
You can read the Zoneminder 'system log' by clicking on a link unsurprisingly called 'log' (as shown in the main console screenshot above). This gives as a log viewer, as shown below:
The way I configure Zoneminder is by reading the activity log and keep changing configuration until it stops moaning.
So I started with this error:
Can't open memory map file /dev/shm/zm.mmap.1, probably not enough space free: Permission denied
This due to the default settings of Ubuntu (or Lubuntu in my case). There is a kernel setting called shmmax which determines the maximum size of a shared memory segment i.e. the total amount of RAM that can be used when Zoneminder is grabbing images from the video driver.
[You may vaguely remember doing this before because some 'enterprise' (i.e. bloated) databases and other business software often requires this too.]
So on my fresh install, shmmax was set to 32MB by default and it needed to be more than 96MB, so I increased it to 128MB to be sure.
How much you need depends on how posh your camera is. The higher resolution the camera, the more RAM Zoneminder will need to use.
A quick hack way is to just override the number in /proc, obviously this only works on the live system, when you reboot the setting is gone. However, it is a quick way to play about with the setting:
sudo su
echo 536870912 >/proc/sys/kernel/shmmax
You can work the setting by trial and error but you can also just to look in the Zonemaster wiki, or to google it, as it is likely that someone else is already using Zonemaster with the same model of camera you have.
I restarted zonemaster:
sudo /etc/init.d/zonemaster restart
And it solved the problem. So because I then knew it worked, (as advised by Zonemaster wiki), I made a config file to do this on boot:
sudo su
echo kernel.shmmax = 536870912 >/etc/sysctl.d/60-kernel-shm.conf
sysctl -p
Next up in the log was the error:
waiting for capture daemon
This is fixed by adding the web server user to the video group:
sudo adduser www-data video
(Why isn't this sorted out by the .deb package? And why is it not given its own user?)
Just keep attacking the log errors until it is all happy really.
Configuring Image Location
By default the images are bunged into: /usr/share/zoneminder/events which is a symbolic link to /var/cache/zoneminder/events/1/
In theory, to change this you need to change the setting ZM_DIR_EVENTS which is the first setting under 'Options' then 'Paths'. Use an absolute path and make sure the destination has the correct permissions.
In reality, I never had much luck changing this. When it tries to read the events back, it seems to be somehow hardcoded to the old location which is then appends with this location. If anyone has the answer to this let me know.
So instead I have had more luck just ignoring this configuration option and instead myself replacing the symbolic link /usr/share/zoneminder/events with my own:
sudo rm /usr/share/zoneminder/events
ln -s my_better_location /usr/share/zoneminder/events
By default there is no lockdown on the web interface, so if the machine is web accessible, you will want to change that (options > OPT_USE_AUTH). When you first turn on authentication, the username is admin and password is admin. You will probably want to change that too! (Options > Users - only appears when authentication is turned on).
There are lots of other things you can configure like the sensitivity of the motion detection and which regions of the image to watch and which to ignore it etc. However, we have covered everything specific to using Zoneminder on an Ubuntu/Debian system using the .deb packages. The Zoneminder wiki is very useful and comprehensive so dig around there to find out more.
Zoneminder in action
Now if you have read this far you deserve to have some silly pictures.
Having a CCTV camera at the front of your house educates you a lot about what happens in your local community. I have learned all sorts of things from watching back footage at random. Most of the cool snaps I probably cannot post online for legal and taste reasons.
The first revelation is that a large amount of people look through your windows. Here is a fairly tame and blurry one.
I have had people come right up to the camera and look through the windows. One person even wrote down details in a pad.
Where does the box load of paper spam come from? Well Zoneminder will tell you. Here is a guy promoting a pizza company:
Here is a free 'newspaper' full of ads:
Fortunately, we still have real postmen. But they seem to be far more informally dressed than Postman Pat:
I think he was a special temp over Christmas. Sadly they all seem to have these granny trolleys now instead of the cool Pashley bicycles they used to have.
Fortunately, the dustmen come and take all this rubbish away, even in heavy rain:
Over to you
So setting up Zoneminder takes a little fiddling but it is good fun and reassuring to have the ability to look back in time at what was happening in front of your house in the past. If you have a go or have tried Zoneminder before, please let everyone know how you got on and how I could improve this guide. Bonus points for silly pictures.
You can't stop the signal
When I started this site in 2005, I said that my blog was:
"about taking control of your own technology, it looks at our experiences of computing; especially computing using GNU/Linux, often using the command line and other textual means, but also other issues such as ethics, best practices and whatever is cool now."
In 2007, in answer to a question, I provided this further description:
"The broader meaning is someone who is willing to take the extra time and effort to think through and take control of all the technology that is entering into our daily lives; to make sure that our freedoms, hard-fought for on the battle field, protest rally and ballot box, are not quietly surrendered in the digital age, but instead freedom must be at the very foundation of technology itself."
About a year ago (December 2011), I decided to take some time off writing here. I thought that if I stopped writing blog posts and stopped writing mailing list posts and stopped Tweeting it would give me more time and energy to make progress in other areas of my life.
I was wrong.
By not engaging with the interests and interested communities that got me where I am philosophically and technically, my passion started to fade and I lost those key insights that only come from interacting with others in the field.
So I have decided to try to restart writing. All previous entries from 2005 to 2011 are now archived, and I have a clean new chapter to begin.
Bear with me as I build up confidence again as a writer. The biggest difficulty I have is writing to a silent audience. It is difficult to know which topics to address if I do not know the audience's interests. So please do give me your comments and ideas. There is a comment box available below and my twitter name is zeth0.


text:
From the Market to the Mall
February 7 - April 1, 2005
David Filderman Gallery, 9th floor, Axinn Library
Through the use of a variety of transportation systems, Long Island's goods have found their way to markets all over the world. And the change in the method of transportation, as well as the change in the market place, has had a very pronounced effect on Long Island! As we changed from an agricultural way of life to that of a community of suburban neighborhoods, our needs for goods and services has also changed. We have seen the evidence of this transformation as wagon sellers gave way to truck farms and then through the use of the railroad to distribute our goods. Eventually, we developed local groceries or "Mom and Pop" stores which dotted our Main Streets. Today, we have seen the growth of supermarkets and malls, both open-air and enclosed. This exhibit depicts both the historical and visual impact on our landscape and our neighborhoods as we have gone "From the Market to the Mall."
Geri Solomon, Guest Curator
Assistant Dean of Special Collections and University Archivist

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Autumn Cashmere
Hand Crochet Skull Hi Low Sweater
Autumn Cashmere is a fresh, contemporary and innovative knitwear company, creating cashmere, cashmere blend and cotton sweaters and accessories that excite the senses and inspire fun living. Fan favorites include Kate Hudson, Blake Lively, and Taylor Swift.
- 100% cotton Italian imported yarn
- Hand wash cold
- Asymmetric hem
- Styled with Citizens Of Humanity Avedon Skinny Leg in Hound.
- Modeled in size S. See fit guide for model's dimensions.
- Revolve Style No. AUTU-WK90
- Manufacturer Style No. N7114
- Can't find your size? Place a special order inquiry for this item.


text:
We've turned the rich into caricatures.
They're greedy "fat cats" with cigars dangling from their snarled lips.
"How dare the president call us fat! We're just big-boned," says a decidedly obese cat in a 2011 political cartoon by Stuart Carlson.
"It hurts my feelings deeply," another fat cat says.
Other cartoons show them holding moneybags marked "$."
You know, just so it's obvious.
It's easy to mock the wealthy -- especially the ultra-super-rich, whose incomes have weathered the recession better than anyone else's, and who are taking home a chunk of the total economic pie that is obscene and unfair. Watch documentaries like "Born Rich," by Johnson & Johnson heir Jamie Johnson, and it's impossible not to laugh, or vomit, as you see how detached many 1-percenters are from reality.
One brags about her "really fun" family helicopter.
"I don't remember the evening all that clearly, but I've definitely spent several thousand dollars on a bar bill, probably," a gambling heir says, referring to a night of drinking in the Hamptons, outside New York. "These things happen."
Things happen.
This is all in good fun, but on the two-year anniversary of the Occupy Wall Street movement, which failed to achieve its goals of promoting economic policies that would shrink the rich-poor gap, it's worth asking ourselves: Is it fair to paint the super-rich as a homogenous set of villains? Or, more to the point: Is it productive?
Last week, I put that question to former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich, who is (and has been) one of the country's foremost advocates for narrowing the gulf that has emerged between rich and poor. His new documentary, "Inequality for All," is to economic justice what Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" was to global climate change: It's a powerful, if slightly wonky, outline of the problem, complete with charts, PowerPoint-type presentations and a spirited call to action.
Other recent films on America's wealth gap, "Park Avenue," for instance, hold no punches in the way their efforts paint the wealthy as detached jerks who are buying off politicians to support their needless and greedy habits.
But Reich doesn't want to make villains out of the wealthy.
"I think that's wrongheaded and it doesn't lead to any constructive solutions," he told me in an interview with a few reporters in New York.
His film aims to show how economic inequality hurts everyone.
"The rich would be better off with a smaller share of a rapidly growing economy," he told me, "than they (are) now with a large share of an economy that is anemic -- that is basically not growing at all, largely because you don't have many people with much money to be able to sustain the economy and buy enough."
"I think the rich would do better with a society that was less polarized," he added, "with an economy that's less polarized and more collaborative, than they do now with a society that is very (much) at loggerheads."
The trouble is convincing them of that.
Reich's film might be a start. One rich person it features is Nick Hanauer, a venture capitalist from Seattle who sold a company to Microsoft in 2007 for $6.4 billion and was "the first nonfamily investor" in Amazon, which, you know, is worth big bucks.
But, unlike many money-mover types, Hanauer supports policies that economists say would help narrow the rich-poor gap and increase economic mobility.
He says it's in his interest.
In the doc, Hanauer talks about how he has tons of money to spend, and he does buy nice things, but he doesn't spend that much more than a middle-class person.
"I have the nicest Audi you can get," he says, "but it's still only one Audi."


text:
You must earn 10,000 points to post other members' whiteboard
Hey, buddy. I'm still visiting your "Makes and Models of Cars" topic. Today's entry was a little more exotic than most.
Today is our buddy "Pard's" birthday. I'm throwing her a little party, ON her Whiteboard. Please drop by and post a birthday message for Pard.... Thanks!!!
Hope everything's OK with you. Haven't heard from you for a while.
amazing... 1900! just wanted to say thanks for keeping Prineville prices straight!
Congratulations on having the stamina to post for 1,900 consecutive days. Keep up the Great Work. Your buddy, Warren {:-)
good points, too bad he can't realize it, anyhow, good post.
Congratulations on 5 years of consecutive days. Good Job!
Welcome aboard buddy, have a nice week
1819 cons days and almost eight years on gas buddy, fantastic work..................... ....Lets be buddies
Hi, BIG congratulations on having the dedication to post for 1,800 consecutive days. WOW!! Keep up the great work and Good Luck in the future! Your buddy, Warren :-)


text:
EditBasic Person: Robert L Dula 1 Age in 1930: 40 1 Birth: Estimated Birth Year: 1890 1 Residence: Place: WESTCHESTER County, New York 1 From: 1930 1 Enumeration District: GREENBURGH TOWN 1
Looking for more information about Robert L Dula? Search through millions of records to find out more. Find more records
Anyone can contribute to this page. Please sign in or sign up—it's free. Created: 19 Jan 2013 Modified: 13 Oct 2013 Page Views: 80 total (11 this week)


text:
Search results for : | divas kreations |
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Wrestling Xtreme Forum: Best wrestling forums on the Net -- WWE, RAW, TNA, HOT women, Divas, wrestling multimedia, UFC, MMA and much more!
wrestling, xtreme, forum, best, forums, women, divas, multimedia, much, more!Free forum : The Divas and Superstars Of Wrestling
Free forum : The Professional Wrestling Buisness will be discussed on this forum site. This site has alot to do with graphics to. Enjoy!
free, divas, superstars, wrestling, professional, buisness, will, discussed, this, site, alot, with, graphics, enjoy!WWE World: Step Into Reality
A WWE Role playing site
world, role, playing, site, monday, night, friday, smackdown, superstars, divasWWE: Revolution
Free forum : Relive, Create, Imagine.
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Topics linked your research : | divas kreations |
COMMENCING ON MONDAY 7TH September AND FINISHING AT MIDNIGHT MONDAY 15TH September 2009 5 challenges, one per day from Monday - Friday. Set by the Divas Design Team and Guest Designer. Friday night Chat and games and a challenge. $10 DIVA
Scrapbook Divas August Crop Day.
Hello all you Scrapbookers who live in Newcastle and surrounding areas. The next Scrapbook Divas Crop Day When: Sunday 23rd August 2009 Where: Edgeworth Bowling Club Time: 10.00 to 4.30pm Cost: FREE BYO: Scrapbooking supplies I will


text:
Is there any way to use fonts that aren't in the forum's default list (across computers)? I thought I had managed it before, because the text on one computer outputs the new font in WYSIWYG mode, previews, and posts when used. But the same text won't show that font from a different computer.
On the original computer, this:
[FONT=windows command prompt][SIZE=3][CHECK PERSONAL MESSAGES][/SIZE][/FONT]
will show:
but otherwise appears as:
Just curious. :] I could use images instead of text and code, but text and code's cleaner and more malleable.


text:
Phantom's Art | Commission Status | CSS | devArt | THOSS | My Face
Hi, I'm a guy known as Phantom. I like sketching and talking about characters.[Regrettably from cause of snow and frost, we find that of you are sadly lost.]
I CURRENTLY HAVE A SKETCH SALE GOING ON ($3 AND UP) TO HELP BACK THE LEYLINES PROJECT. CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE.What'd you do now, Jesse boy.


text:
This was only the end of the first round.
This was only the end of the first round.
hahaha Great!!!
Amazing, love the double Pun!
ahaha great illustration!!love the idea! $$
hahaha funny
So good! $5
rather super!
$5 classic... great group of subs you've done!
Nice work Fats!
nice work!
Great stuff! The fragile stamp is the best part.
:D awesome!
so cool! Great character.
Nice illustration
wow coool! $5
This is awesome! Clever and beautifully rendered!
plus $5
Awesome work!
really cool
Good thing I had all my $5's stored in my pocket for these next 4 subs of yours. Love the lighting and texture on this.
aww so cute! poor box! haha i like it!
The print is in the box!
Nice 5$
heh. another great one from you.
haha awesome! 5$
Love the texture, shadows, colours, well all of it $$
ill buy that $5
Extremely effective. Superbly rendered!
Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho! Silly and great. Love the colors.
great work!
omg lol epic. great job dude! stellar emotion, love the subtle details like the wine cup icon on the box. great stuff!
Funny idea and top execution man!
yeah yeah, awesome.
Great illo!
great idea!
top notch! Always love your work!
great illustration. love the texture!
great illo!$5
Fantastic stuff!
awesome style!
Incredible illustration, so much description in such a simple execution.
Relentless quality


text:
As this "super storm" approaches you might want to prepare yourself for the weather. I am not saying build a bomb shelter or stock up on canned beans. I'm just saying you might want to protect your fingers with a pair of cozy mitts from Coal. Take your pick of our selection…and good luck.(just kidding, we'll be fine)
Coal The Heidi Mitten available in tan, deep purple and rust. Complete with adorable squirrel.
Coal The Rosalita Mitten available in grey, hot pink, and black. Hand Made.
Coal The Sierra Mitten available in black, tan and blue. Hand Made.


text:
Submit a file
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Free CUDA Video Converter has the capabilities to convert all popular video formats from HD to HD, HD to SD and SD to SD, transform between audio formats, extract audios or pictures from videos, and create video from photos. New features: 1. Add profiles for iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, ipad4, Note3 2. Fix bug for winXP/2000/2003 3. Add Flip Fuction, Add Blind Function. 4. Improve "Mux",Now supports multiple video and audio files. 5. Fixed the compatibility issue MP4 files. Key features: 1.Supported High-Definition videos: H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, AVCHD Video (*.m2ts, *.mts), Apple TV h.264 720P, MKV, HD WMV, MPEG2/MPEG-4 TS HD Video, etc. 2.Supported general video formats: AVI, MPEG, WMV, DivX, MP4, H.264/AVC, MKV, RM, MOV, XviD, 3GP, FLV, etc. 3.Transform between MP3, WMA, WAV, RA, M4A, AAC, AC3, MP2, OGG and such audio formats; extract audio file from HD/SD video. 4.Capture pictures in batches from video; create a video from pictures. 5.Support multi-core CPU, multi-threading and batc ...
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SuperEZ Video Converter 9.5.5
SuperEZ Video Converter is open source software to perform almost every task for video conversion. It enables you to convert 3GP, MP4, AVI, MPG, WMV, MPEG, FLV, and HD, making batch file conversion simple. The converted files will be saved to an output directory and the original files will be well maintained. Well-configured presets will help you get the video/audio quality you want. It does not require any technical experience to operate.
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VideoCool Video Converter 2.3.5
You may need to arrange the orders of the input video files - VideoCool Video Converter contains a file list, displaying all necessary file info and the thumbnail of each video, thus you can manage the files easily. Another feature included is the media playback that you can play all input media files. VideoCool Video Converter provides a total solution to convert video files of any format to 3GP, MP3, MP4, AVI, MPG, WMV, MPEG, FLV, HD and others
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4Media DVD Creator for Mac 220.127.116.113
4Media DVD Creator for Mac can easily and speedily convert and burn AVI, MPEG, DivX, WMV, XviD, DV, M4V, 3GP, H.264/AVC, etc. to DVD movie disc, DVD folder or ISO file on Mac, and also burn DVD folder and ISO file to DVD disc. To make a custom DVD movie, you can create a featured DVD menu, clip video files, crop video frame size, edit video effect, and add watermark, audio tracks and subtitles for DVD authoring. New features: 1.Improved the stability and compatibility of certain recorders. 2.Ability to set the default TV standard in accordance with the user?s current country or region during Key features: 1.Create DVD movie disc, DVD folder or ISO file from AVI, MPEG, DivX, WMV, XviD, DV, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, H.264/AVC, YUV, ASF video files and even DVD folder, ISO file. 2.With multithreading and multi-core processing support, the whole DVD creating process will be completed in a few minutes. 3.Support DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD+R DL, DVD-R DL, DVD-5 and DVD-9 as target DVD disc formats. 4.Clip ...
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Moyea PPT to DVD Burner Lite 2.3.0.042
Moyea PPT to DVD Burner Lite, an easy-to-use presentation tool, can convert PowerPoint to Blu-ray/DVD and PowerPoint to video in all formats like PPT to AVI, MPEG, FLV, MP4, MOV, 3GP, VOB, etc. with excellent quality via wizard interface. Thus together with the function of designing beautiful Blu-ray/DVD Menus, this PowerPont to DVD burner lets your PowerPoint achieve comfortably enjoying on TV, Blu-ray/DVD player, Portable Player, YouTube.
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Kate`s Video Toolkit 5.878
All-in-one video/audio toolkit solution. Convert, Cut, Join, Mix and Apply effects. Supports AVI, WMV, MOV , DIVX, ASF, 3GP, MP4, MPEG1, MPEG2, VCD-PAL ,VCD-NTSC, SVCD-PAL, SVCD-NTSC, DVD-PAL, DVD-NTSC and other formats. Add a 3D transitions (70 transitions) and awesome effects (over 50 effect) between any combination of video clips, picture. It changes the frame size, frame aspect ratio, video compression codec and audio compression codec. FREE
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Kate`s Video Converter 7 22.214.171.124
Video converter which can convert video file between all popular video formats including AVI, WMV, MOV , DIVX, ASF, 3GP, MP4, MPEG1, MPEG2, VCD-PAL ,VCD-NTSC, SVCD-PAL, SVCD-NTSC, DVD-PAL, DVD-NTSC and other formats.
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SmartSoft Video Converter Pro 9.11
Powerful, yet easy to use, it takes a few simple steps to convert between popular video formats like AVI, MPEG, WMV, RM, MOV and more. And burns your files on a movie DVD, VCD or SVCD later. The clear, easily navigable interface lets you adjust output quality easily - just move to preset options on the quality slider, or custom-define advanced variables. So you can enjoy high quality movie DVDs at home, or share your movies over the Internet.
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AV Video Converter 6.3.3
Incredibly easy to use for both novices and pros, AV Video Converter brings you all the capabilities to make polished productions: convert video of all popular formats like AVI, MPEG, WMV, DivX, MP4, H.264/AVC, AVCHD, MKV, RM, MOV, XviD, 3GP, etc. It is also a handy YouTube downloader and converter which means you can save whatever YouTube videos you like.
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MediaProSoft Free WMV to AVI/MPEG Converter 6.3.2
MediaProSoft Free WMV to AVI/MPEG Converter is a professional tool to convert video between most popular WMV, AVI, MPEG and many other video formats. The conversion process of our converter is very fast and customizable. Simple as all properties, settings displayed in interface could be well handled. The converter provides high converting speed and excellent output quality, beyond your imagination.
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Tekware Flv Converter 3.2
Updated media player and converter converts audio and video formats including, aac, ac3, avi, flv, m4a, mov, mpeg, mp3, mp4, ogg, wma, wmv. or simply plays back audio and video files. Great for converting downloaded music and videos for use on portable devices. Now with mass batch converting for unlimited file conversions available for registered users. Plays You Tube videos added and blazing fast multithread technology for fast file transfers locally or to your ipod, or other externals. File burner addded recently for burning files to CDDVD, single file or entire folder. Reburns the same disc as needed without finalizing. Buy any one program from our home page and get one program of equal or lesser value free!
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DVD Store 2.1
DVD Store decrypts write protected DVDs and copies the files you choose from your DVD to your local hard drive. You then have the option to convert the files into Flash Video format for playback in your media player or for web page display. Gives you a backup copy of your valuable DVDs which can be destoyed from dirt and scratches from improper handling. Comes with FFMPEG converter utility that automatically converts files to flv format for playback in Real Player or other media players. Build a library on your computer that you can access without loading individual disks. See for yourself the high quality videos created. Few programs if any have the ability to read DVDs with write protection that this program handles. Comes with free lifetime upgrades and technical support, no yearly subscription fee. Buy any one program from our home page and get one program of equal or lesser value free!
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Kate`s Video Toolkit 7 188.8.131.526
All-in-one video/audio toolkit solution. Convert, Cut, Join, Mix and Apply effects. Supports AVI, WMV, MOV , DIVX, ASF, 3GP, MP4, MPEG1, MPEG2, VCD-PAL ,VCD-NTSC, SVCD-PAL, SVCD-NTSC, DVD-PAL, DVD-NTSC and other formats. Add a 3D transitions (70 transitions) and awesome effects (over 50 effect) between any combination of video clips, picture. It changes the frame size, frame aspect ratio, video compression codec and audio compression codec.
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So Prime Minister Stephen Harper is going to Israel next month. That's nice. Apparently, according to the media, who are indulging their love for stereotyping, that's what it takes to make the Jews of Canada vote for him.
Comments ()Six months ago, Premier Alison Redford hailed Alberta's public-sector workers as heroes for the work they did during and after the floods that devastated the southern half of our province. Police officers and firefighters. Health care workers and social workers. Municipal employees and utility workers.
Comments ()Estimated reading time for this column: 3 minutes, 17 seconds. Sorry, I'm just following the latest fad, pioneered by Slate, a popular American online magazine I read.
Comments ()Yahoo Canada is out with its ninth annual list of top searches and twerking pop star Miley Cyrus tops...
Calgary dog owners have been Tweeting and Instagramming their furry friends since the snow began falling...
2 hours agoParis? Hawaii? Jamaica? What are the destinations most searched for online by Canadians?
December arrives with a blast as the city is lashed with winter storm conditions.
The prince braves sub-zero temperatures in journey to South Pole.
This circa 1887 sophisticated heritage home offers timeless and refined elegance.


text:
I know what part that is and I really felt it with my LLT's. I later saw that spectragraph of that scene and the sensation I felt was confirmed.
post #301 of 582
7/31/11 at 9:04pm
All I know is that this
Does not sound nearly as good as this with music or movies I measured every seat(7) and they were all within +/- 3 db's thru the whole range. |


text:
First time ever staying over for the night in Florence. In our previous trip we had just gone for the day, returning that same evening to Milan. The hotel has a certificate of excellence from this site, meaning it offers a good balance between cost and service. Staff is excellently amiable. The room itself remined me of childhood roadtrips staying... More
- Also Known As:
- Kursaal Ausonia Hotel
- Kursaal Ausonia Florence
- Official Description (provided by the hotel):
- New refurbished rooms with all comforts - Close to railway station, cathedral & Convention Center. ... more less
- Reservation Options:
- TripAdvisor is proud to partner with Booking.com, Expedia, Hotels.com, Orbitz, Cheap Tickets, Travelocity, Priceline, Olotels, Venere, Tingo and Otel so you can book your Hotel Kursaal Ausonia reservations with confidence. We help millions of travellers each month to find the perfect hotel for both holiday and business trips, always with the best discounts and special offers.


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Barclaycard: Time running out to get half price balance transfer deals
Barclaycard has halved the transfer fees it charges on its balance transfer credit cards, but time is running out to take advantange.
The clock is ticking if you want to make the most of Barclaycard's half price balance transfer fee offer.
Back in July Barclaycard announced it was halving the transfer fees charged on its balance transfer credit cards. But that deal finishes on the 9th August, so time is running out. If you have debt racking up interest, you need to act fast to take advantage.
What is a balance transfer credit card?
If you have existing credit card debt and you are struggling to pay it off quickly then a balance transfer credit card could help you regain control of your finances.
With a balance transfer credit card you can take an outstanding balance from another credit card and give it a fresh start on a new card charging 0% interest. As a result, your repayments go directly towards paying off your debt rather than on interest. So you pay that debt off quicker and it costs you less to do so!
Two important points
When choosing a balance transfer credit card you need to look out for the length of interest-free period and the cost of transferring the balance.
The trick is to find a cheap balance transfer card with a sufficient interest-free period that gives you enough time to clear the debt before interest starts racking up again. After all, there is no point getting a bargain transfer rate but only having a couple of months to get your finances in order before interest is charged again. Likewise you don't want to spend a fortune transferring the debt even if there is a long time in which to pay it off.
The longest 0% interest-free period
There are a number of credit cards that are offering plenty of time to clear balance transfers. Take a look at the quick round up in the table below.
Credit card |
Length of 0% period on balance transfers |
23 months |
22 months |
NatWest Platinum | 22 months |
RBS Platinum | 22 months |
22 months |
21 months |
20 months |
20 months |
18 months |
18 months |
17 months |
15 months |
*Only available to existing current account holders
The longer you have the more manageable chunks your debt can be broken into. For example, if you had £5,000 to pay off then you could split the payments over 23 months with a HSBC Visa credit card, which would cost around £217 a month before interest is charged. But if you had a shorter period of fifteen months with a Fluid Card this would require a heftier £333.00 a month to clear the same amount.
The cheapest balance transfer fee
As well as the interest-free period, you need to factor in the cost of transferring the balance, as this is going to add to the total amount you have to repay.
To illustrate how a balance transfer fee can make a difference especially if you want to minimise incurring any further debt, take a look at the table below. It shows the cost of a balance transfer across a range of lump sums on credit cards that offer a reasonable 22-month interest-free period .
Debt transferred |
Barclaycard 22-Month Platinum (1.45% fee) |
NatWest Platinum (3.2% fee) |
RBS Platinum (3.2% fee) |
Halifax MasterCard (3.5% fee) |
£1,000 |
£14.50 |
£32.00 |
£32.00 |
£35.00 |
£2,500 |
£36.25 |
£80.00 |
£80.00 |
£87.50 |
£5,000 |
£72.50 |
£160.00 |
£160.00 |
£175.00 |
£7,500 |
£108.75 |
£240.00 |
£240.00 |
£262.50 |
£10,000 |
£145.00 |
£320.00 |
£320.00 |
£350.00 |
As you can see the amount you will have to pay to start taking control of your debt is vastly cheaper with Barclaycard.
For a £5,000 balance you would have to pay £175 to transfer it to the Halifax MasterCard but you could save £102.50 using a Barclaycard 22-Month Platinum Visa with the exact same interest-free period. It seems like a no-brainer to me.
The best of both
Normally it is hard to strike a balance between the cheap balance transfer and length of interest-free period. Luckily the Barclaycard range has the cheapest set of handling fees on the market and a wide variety of interest-free periods to choose from. Take a look at the table below to see what's still on offer.
Credit card |
Interest free period |
Balance transfer fee |
22 months |
1.45% |
21 months |
1.3% |
14 months |
1.45% |
Nine months |
1.25% |
However, after August 9th the fees will double meaning that although the cards will still be competitive you will have to pay more to transfer your balances.
If you miss out or if you are unable to take advantage of this offer because you have an existing Barclaycard debt you should take a look at the best alternatives to Barclaycard's balance transfer credit card to see the other cards that can help.
More stories on credit cards:


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Culinary instructor and author Alamelu Vairavan prepares a flavorful and innovative dish called Spinach Poriyal along with an awesome stir-fry called Beets with Coconut Poriyal she will cook an easy to prepare and delicious flavorful Chicken Curry in a Hurry. Show Recipes: Spinach Poriyal/ Spinach Rice with Cashews; Chicken Curry in a Hurry; Beets with Coconut Poriyal.
Visit the Website: http://www.mptv.org/shows/alamelu/
Episode #211 / Length: 26 minutes
On TV
- Wednesday, December 11th at 7:30 AM on KLRU Create
- Wednesday, December 11th at 1:30 PM on KLRU Create


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Gift ShopAPPAREL | T-SHIRTSTee Shirt "Got Drama?"Got Drama? T-Shirt. Need we say more?A customer service representative will contact you regarding your desired size after order placement. Available in S, M, L, XL, and XXL. Item Price: $22.00 Member Price: $19.80 |
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The FloatCam HD DC Slider features all of the operating characteristics of the original DC Slider but this "Big Brother" will accommodate camera packages up to 70 pounds (30Kg.) which includes all of the new, state of the art, digital cameras and accessories.
The FloatCam HD DC Slider operates through a wide range of variable angles as well as horizontally and the precision counter balance assures smooth operation from start to stop of the camera moves. The HD DC Slider also operates as a mini jib and vertical tower as well as ground level or table top camera support.
The HD DC Slider will perform all the same moves as the Floatcam DC Slider, only with a heavier camera package.
ANGLES: The HD DC-Slider allows a wide rance of variable angle operations. No matter how acute the angle, the counterbalance system will assure steady and stable camera movements. A simple, positive-locking adjustment feature allows for camera placement at the exact vertical or off-axis position for creative imaging. Minimum and maximum heights of the HD DC-Slider in the multi-angled positions are dependent on the height of the tripod.
MINI-JIB: In the Mini-Jib mode, the HD DC-Slider operates a working diameter of 63" (160cm) on the horizontal. The counterbalance system is locked to ensure unvarying movements through the full-range of the hib arm's capabilities. An easy adjustment of the parallelogram bar will allow the camera to stay locked on to a subject through the rance of the jib arm's vertical travel rather than staying in a fixed attitude. The maximum and minimum operating heights of the Mini-jib function are dependent on the height of the tripod.
TOWER: With the simple removal and repositioning of two handles, the HD DC-Slider becomes a tower allowing for an exact vertical camera move through the full rance of the 63" (160cm) track. Minimum and maximum heights of the camera moves, when mounted on the tower, are dependent on tripod configuration. The counterbalance system maintains a steady resistance to camera moves reducing the possibilities of irregular movements during the start or finish of a camera move.
SLIDER: The HD DC-Slider can be mounted on a single tripod or placed on level or uneven surfaces and the constant counterbalance feature will always maintain a uniform pressure that ensures uniform camera movements throughout the full tracking length of 63" (160cm)
- Rail length: 73" (185cm)
- Tracking length: 63" (160cm)
- Maximum Load: 70 Lbs. (30Kg)
- System Weight: 90 Lbs. (41Kg)
- Mini Jib working diameter: 63" (160cm)
- Flight cases included.
- Motion Control System available.


text:
Changes related to "Category:Family : Parenting : Birthing - Fertility problems"
From Astro-Databank
This is a list of changes made recently to pages linked from a specified page (or to members of a specified category). Pages on your watchlist are bold.
No changes on linked pages during the given period.


text:
NORTH ADAMS -- Changes to the city's Classification and Compensation Plan were the center of a heated back-and-forth between Mayor Richard J. Alcombright and City Councilor John Barrett III during Tuesday night's City Council meeting.
The changes include a 1 percent raise effective Jan. 1 and a 1 percent raise retroactive to July 1, 2012, for nonunion employees and police dispatchers, as well as an 8 percent "adjustment" increase for police dispatchers. Also included are $5,000 annual stipends for the fire director, as well as the police director and lieutenant. Funding for the dispatcher's salaries will come from the city's Verizon 911 grant.
Additionally, Alcombright has requested that the clerk for the Public Works Department be reclassified, raising the position's hourly rate by $1.93, compensation for additional work taken on.
Barrett said the while he was not opposed to the "rank and file" employees receiving the retroactive 2 percent increases, he did take issue with any nonunion employee making over $60,000 getting a raise. He also took issue with the 20 percent raise for the DPW clerk and the absence of a raise for reserve police officers.
"I honestly believe it still needs refinement over the next few weeks because these are retroactive," he said. "I think this needs to be looked at more closely, especially when I see an employee getting a 20 percent raise when just two years ago, we had to layoff three part-time clerks. I found the increases for the directors to be justifiable because of the additional duties being taken on with the commissioner no longer being there.
"However, I never heard about the additional duties of the [police] lieutenant. I didn't hear if sergeants were taking on more responsibilities. What about the fire lieutenants? Every decision being made here has an impact on others and it could have an impact on the city financially."
Barrett went on to say that he didn't understand how the mayor could "cut the hours of two 80-year-old clerks" who he said were eventually "forced out" and then justify the increase for the DPW clerk.
Alcombright replied that the police sergeants and fire lieutenants are part of their respective unions, unlike the police lieutenant, and said that reserve officer salaries would be discussed as part of the public safety department's budget.
"What I'm simply asking the council to do tonight, and this is getting very frustrating, is to support the increases you voted on when you approved the budget in June," the mayor said. "These raises were budgeted. All I'm asking for is for you to give me the document that allows me to give them the raises we promised these employees."
Alcombright added, "The fact that you [Barrett] can sit there and say that I eliminated jobs and pushed two 80-year-old women out the door is hideous. What we did was eliminate hours. This is not about reserve officers. This is not about adjustments made to hours three years ago. It is about nonunion employee salary increases. It is about raises for our dispatchers through the Verizon grant."
The council voted 7 to 1 to pass the Compensation and Classification Plans to a second reading and for each to be published as a municipal bulletin. Barrett cast the dissenting vote. Councilor Jennifer Breen was absent.
Prior to passing the plans to a second reading, the council amended the language of the classification plan order to reflect the elimination of the DPW clerk's original classification and to replace it with a new classification designation. The mayor will also refer the amendment to the city solicitor for review to ensure that it does not eliminate the other employee classifications on the plan.
In other action, the council unanimously accepted Massachusetts Municipal Health Care Reform law, approved its Council's Rules of Order and approved the purchase of the rear of 177 River St., which the city had encroached upon when it built the Houghton Street playground several years ago.
To reach Jennifer Huberdeau, email


text:
Think you can impress us with your street art? by Aaron › 5 Oct 2012
Do you think you've got what it takes to be the latest star in street art? Today Umbro are launching a special collaboration with Foot Locker and Secret Walls, to unearth some of the finest fresh talent across Europe.
Read more -
Umbro Classic Football Shirts: time for the 1990s by Aaron › 31 Aug 2012
For many of us, the 1990s might not seem that far away – it's scary to think that plenty of footballers playing today were only born in this decade! As we continue our look back through the extensive Umbro football shirt archive, we've reached the 1990s...
Read more -
Grand Stade Lille Metropole: My new home away from home by Andrew Gibney › 29 Aug 2012
This week our guest blogger Andrew Gibney, founder and editor of French Football Weekly and massive Lille fan, tells us about his trip to Lille's first home match against Nancy at their brand new stadium, Grand Stade Lille Metropole.
Read more -
City smart as they head overseas: Manchester City 2012 European Away Shirt by Aaron › 23 Aug 2012
Set to be worn in all the club's European away games and some select Premier League fixtures, the stylish black and carbon shirt is sure to be a favourite with City's fans in Manchester and around the world.
Read more -
Umbro Classic Football Shirts: the awesome 1980s by Aaron › 20 Aug 2012
It's all about the 1980s this week, as our trawl through the Umbro shirt archive reaches the decade of Liverpool's dominance on the pitch, and a ban for English clubs in Europe.
Read more -
Sun-kissed and set for success: the new Peru 2012 home shirt by Aaron › 20 Aug 2012
Peru have unveiled their new home shirt, tailored by Umbro. The South American giants have once again looked to the history of their nation and their heritage on the football pitch for inspiration, combining to create a modern shirt that will inspired both players and fans.
Read more -
Umbro Classic Football Shirts: some of our finest 1970s specials by Aaron › 13 Aug 2012
We're continuing our dive through the Umbro football shirt archive today with a look at one of the most exciting eras in football design – the 1970s
Read more -
Neo Pro DPS: our new gloves ready for the new season by Aaron › 10 Aug 2012
With Manchester City kicking off in the Community Shield on Sunday, the 2012/13 season will be underway, with Joe Hart sure to be playing a big part in between the sticks.
Read more -
Lille supporters help to reveal new LOSC third shirt by Aaron › 8 Aug 2012
Highlighting the links between supporters and the club that make LOSC more than just a football team, some of the team's supporters have been chosen to unveil the new Lille OSC third shirt.
Read more -
Umbro Classic Football Shirt: check out our 1960s specials by Aaron › 8 Aug 2012
Now, we're sharing some of our classic football shirts through our Facebook timeline, which allows us to show what was going on in the Umbro world around the time that these shirts came out.
Read more -
Boiler Room 5s: we speak to the men behind the action by Aaron › 3 Aug 2012
Bringing together some of the finest record labels, magazines and clothing stores from London and around the UK in a 5-a-side tournament, Boiler Room 5s is set to be one of the most stylish sporting events in the capital this weekend.
Read more


text:
- Products:
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Spongebob SquarepantsLet's Party! Pyjamas
Spongebob Squarepants Lets Party Legging Pyjama Set
These Spongebob Squarepants pyjamas are the perfect present for that fun loving special someone.
These pyjamas have a loose fitting crew neck T-shirt and legging style bottoms for the ultimate in comfortable sleepwear. Livening up these relaxed pieces is an all over Spongbob print that will bring a smile to everyone's face.
Wrap these SpongeBob Squarepants pyjamas along with some fluffy ballet slippers and a cuddly cardigan for guaranteed relaxation.
Useful info:
- Pyjamas by Spongebob Squarepants
- Crew neck shape top for relaxed look
- Long sleeves with contrast cuffs
- Bottoms with elasticated waistband
- Weekly Price
- From £1.75 per week
- Price
- £35.00
- In Stock
- Next day delivery available
- Availability
- Available
Spongebob SquarepantsOnesie
Spongebob Squarepants Onesie
This Spongebob Squarepants onesie will add a pop of colour and personality to your loungewear.
Slip into this onesie on your next day off and let its cutesy love heart print put you in a cheerful mood. Whether you're hanging out with your starfish best friend or staying at home to work through that box set you've been meaning to watch, this is the perfect outfit.
Wear this Spongebob Squarepants onesie with your cuddly slippers on your next relaxing day. Let this all in one's comfort relax you and indulge in a mug of creamy hot chocolate.
Useful info:
- Onesie by Spongebob Squarepants
- All over character and heart print
- Contrast button placket
- Elasticated cuffs and hem
- Weekly Price
- From £1.85 per week
- Price
- £37.00
- Low stock, selling fast
- Availability
- Low stock selling fast
- Products:
- 1-2 of 2


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Since 2004, London Business School has been stuck at No. 5 in Bloomberg Businessweek's biennial ranking of the top international business schools—a respectable showing, but nothing to write home about. This year LBS has something to write home about. In a rare, come-from-behind victory, the school has leaped ahead of four higher-ranked rivals to steal the No. 1 spot from INSEAD, the French business school that has occupied the top spot for six of the 12 years that the magazine has been ranking international programs. LBS's victory represents only the third changing-of-the-guard at the top of the international ranking and the first time ever that a U.K. school has topped the list.Methodology: The ranking is based on three surveys of MBA grads (2012, 2010, and 2008) with 27,523 total responses that combined contribute 45 percent to the final ranking; three surveys of MBA recruiters (2012, 2010, and 2008) with 663 total responses that combined contribute an additional 45 percent; and a review of faculty research published over a five-year period in 20 top academic journals that contributes the final 10 percent. Tuition and fees are for the entire MBA program; where applicable, nonresident figures are used. Pre-MBA pay is the median base salary for the incoming class of 2012; post-MBA pay is the median base salary for the graduating class of 2012. Job offers are the percentage of job-seeking 2012 MBA graduates reporting at least one job offer within three months of graduation. Letter grades are based on one or more questions from the 2012 student survey. A+=top 20 percent; A=next 25 percent; B=next 35 percent; C=bottom 20 percent. No D's or F's awarded.
©2013 Bloomberg L.P. All Rights Reserved. Made in NYC Ad Choices


text:
Regardless, the longest title now is the Giraffes? Giraffes! song now in testing
"I am S/H(im)e[r] as You am S/H(im)e[r] as You are Me and We am I and I are All Our Together: Our Collective Consciousness' Pyschogenic Fuege"
Printable View
Yep. The current top 3 for band+song name length (to my knowledge):
#3: Mega64 - My Name's Horatio, You Got Me, You Ain't Got Nobody Else, So Deal With It, And Love It (93 char)
#2: Honest Bob and the Factory-to-Dealer Incentives - I Don't Want to Hear About Your Crappy Boyfriend (96 char)
#1: Giraffes? Giraffes! - I am S/H(im)e[r] as You am S/H(im)e[r] as You are Me and We am I and I are All Our Together (110 char)
And I shortened G?G! to what it will actually be in-game, due to the 99 character title limit. Trying to keep it fair.
All of these safely beat Van Friscia, whose 2x bass track only hits 84 characters.
Technically none of these count yet since they're not in the store.
Hey, how's this thread?
A certain song just hit playtesting from this authoring group I am very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very excited about.
x9,001 (it's over 9,000!)
I can confirm from others that this song is fun on vocals.
Today marks the release of our 4th and 5th songs for the RBN from DLCQuickplay Authoring!
First up, Mega64's "My Name's Horatio, You Got Me, You Ain't Got Nobody Else, So Deal With it, And Love It" taken from the group's musical episode. It is currently the longest song title in the Rock Band series.
And last but not least, we bring you "Sweet Canadian Mullet" by a man of many talents, Glenn Case! This will not be the only release from Mr. Case, as we have a couple of more songs from him on the way.
Both songs are now available in the Rock Band Music Store for 80 MSP ($1).
Links to purchase
My Name's Horatio...
Sweet Canadian Mullet
So, um, Bullet will be in the store update in a few hours.
Any plans on "You Got The Ball" coming out? Hoping to add that to my PS3 RBN Request List some day soon.


text: On "Ebonics", the idea sounds simple enough: an explanation of various New York slang – some current, some old school – but the way Big L put it together, with some nice punchlines and the high energy production, makes it work. (Cover has light wear.) © 1996-2013, Dusty Groove, Inc.