We’ve got our V70. One month earlier than expected, and I’m certainly not complaining.
Now we have to put 1000km on it before Saturday as Volvo recommends that before towing, and we’re going camping with our tent trailer…
Monthly Archives: June 2004
EAC – Exact Audio Copy
An excellent program for ripping music from your CDs. EAC – Exact Audio Copy (EAC)
Having purchased an iPod, I want my music available on the go. I needed a program that pulls the information from the CD accurately, and lets me know if it has a problem doing it. I’ve used programs like MusicMatch before, and they do a reasonable job, but they occasionally produce glitches in the output. Thus far, EAC has not produced an MP3 with any problems.
One downside is it doesn’t contain a built-in MP3 encoder. It does contain a good tie-in with one of the better MP3 encoders, namely LAME. It is an Open Source encoder and it’s main page is at sourceforge. The site I have linked to is providing a compiled binary download (i.e. an executable that anyone can use). The official project only provides source code.
To install EAC, first install LAME (unzip the download to a LAME directory). Then install EAC, and EAC will search for a LAME install.
EAC isn’t the most intuitive program to use, but it is very powerful and works very well. It has even been able to read ‘copy protected’ CDs that I have so I was able to get the songs into MP3, and also make a copy for use in the car (I never use originals in the car. Too susceptible to damage or theft).
Pegasus Mail – 4.21b released
Some minor bug fixes.
This Wonderful Life – An amazing CGI movie
An amazing example of CGI actors done on a basic PC. Must have taken a very long time to render it.
I don’t know how long the link will be active, so if this one doesn’t work, you may be able to search CG Channel for it.
Chrysler Test Drive – followup
Went on Friday and drove the Magnum and the Crossfire. The Magnum is a very nice vehicle, and would have been on my shortlist if it was actually available right now. Don’t know about specs right now, so it would be eliminated if it’s towing ratings aren’t adequate.
Very roomy, and seemed comfortable, of course I was only in it for a few minutes. They had a short course setup and got to drive both vehicles around it. The Magnum understeers quite easily, so a lot of squealing of tires on that course. Also, I think people wanted to feel the V8 push. It was still an easy car to handle around the course.
The Crossfire felt very confident. Much nicer to push, as one would expect, as it is a sportier vehicle.
Overall, an interesting hour spent looking at cars and driving a couple. Chrysler continues to build some very stylish vehicles. Hopefully they can address their reliability issues, as I certainly wouldn’t recommend their minivans to anyone.
Copying DVDs With Ease
I haven’t actually used any of these software products, but I’ve read about them before. A good way to backup your DVDs that you use all the time, and don’t want to lose…
As it’s name implies, DVD Shrink allows for putting a 2 layer disc onto a single layer DVD-R. It does it either by increasing the compression, or by you telling it you don’t want everything. That includes not including subtitles, certain audio tracks, extras, menus etc.
PC:
Download and install DVD Shrink. There are links to tutorials written by users.
Download and install Nero
Run DVD Shrink and choose “Backup!”.
MAC:
Download and install DVDBackup
Download and install DVD2oneDownload and install Toast
Drive a Chrysler Product on a track
Chrylser is doing a promotional tour, so if you’re interested in their product, and near one of the cities, check it out. GOLD MEDAL TOUR
Of course, they aren’t letting people drive the highly tuned vehicles, but you can drive the Crossfire…
Analog to Digital TV:
An interesting article on Analog to Digital TV: How to “Get” HDTV
Crash Testing: MINI Cooper vs Ford F150
A very interesting article and comparison for those who buy a pickup thinking it is safer.
Crash Testing: MINI Cooper vs Ford F150
Now the new Ford F-150 is significantly stronger (although one must wonder why it took Ford this long to do anything about it).
Now, as stated, there isn’t much doubt what happens when the 2 meet, but what happens when the pickup meets another, or a wall or even a larger car like a Camry or Accord? The pickup isn’t providing much protection.
Here’s another interesting link on a similar topic. Big and Bad
This one also discusses the lack of control and stopping distances of these large vehicles. They’ve taken it to extremes by comparing a Boxster to a Trailblazer, but the point is applicable to a regular passenger car too. Electronics are helping trucks now with dynamic stability control systems, but the manufacturers only put those on because the NHTSA has started doing rollover tests.
Seems like a car isn’t such a bad option after all. The safety of trucks and SUVs is more in the mind than in reality. A car is more likely to avoid a collision in the first place, and if it’s a single vehicle collision, a car seems to be better protection. Even against the pickup or SUV, a full size car will still do well due to its strong body structure (obviously each car varies in this regard). The latest tests by the IIHS
Obviously these are generalizations. Noone can predict what will happen in any given collision, and vehicles keep improving.
Also, more and more SUVs are based on a car, thereby providing better handling and a stronger body structure. They still don’t have to meet the same safety standards, but I believe they are.
The bottom line in my opinion is buy the minivan or station wagon and get past the concerns over ‘image’. The majority of new SUVs don’t have all that much storage space, and don’t have a very high cargo capacity either. A Toyota Camry’s trunk can carry almost as much as most new SUVs (Full sized truck based SUVs excluded), has a similar cargo carrying capacity (on a weight basis), and usually costs less. It will also use less fuel, and with recent fuel prices, this becomes a concern too.
Just one person’s opinion.