May 2005 Archives

I always end up getting a KVM switch at work. It doesn't matter which company I work for - I'm never satisfied with just one machine under my desk. I used to just have multiple monitors on my desk but I need room for all that crap that I don't throw in the bin. At the moment I have a fairly cheap (as KVM's go) Belkin 2 port one, but I used to have a fancy (and expensive) 8 port one from Black Box that was perfect for sitting my phone on top of. Both of these KVM's had a rather irritating flaw.

Sometimes if you switch between PCs and start using the mouse too quickly the KVM can get confused and your mouse goes all crazy. If you have never experienced this effect it is as-if your mouse flys to different parts of the screen and randomly has left and right buttons pressed, if you don't catch this quickly it can cause all sorts on unintended consequences.

In windows world, the best way to fix this problem is to do CTRL-ALT-DEL, Lock the computer, then CTRL-ALT-DEL and unlock the machine. Sometimes your left mouse button still right clicks but if you right-click the left-mouse button will start working again. Strange but true...

Via Wired, there is now a WinAmp plugin that allows you to sync your iPod from WinAmp. Called mlipod, it also allows you to copy songs from your iPod back onto your computer - fantastic. Anyone know a plugin for WinAmp that downloads Podcasts?

According to Steve Gilmor, Apple's iTunes is to support enclosures in RSS feeds (podcasting). I have been looking for more details on this and have not found any yet so I could have mis-read the article but it would be a sensible move for Apple. Podcast's were the reason I bought an iPod and so the reason I had to install the iTunes software (which I don't particularly like BTW) and therefore the reason why I started looking at the iTunes music store. Hopefully the inroduction of a podcast client in iTunes will mean I get a podcatching setup that works reliably....

Update: The BBC have posted a story about the podcast support in iTunes. The BBC have also extended their podcast trial. I think that happened around the 19th May but I've been working late recently so not been posting.

A few people have asked me this recently, so this is the current list of podcasts that I subscribe to and enjoy on my daily commute.

.NET Rocks! - The internet audio talkshow for dotnet developers.
Slashdot Review - A daily review of items of interest on Slashdot read by a southern guy. This is one of my favourite podcasts and the production quality is spot on. The featured garage band at the end is sometimes a pleasure, and sometimes something I just fast forward (the power of podcasts!)
Daily Source Code - The "Podfather" Adam Curry talks about podcasting and stuff. Not sure why I find this entertaining but I do, I think I got hooked on the cow-bells.
Slacker Astronomy - Nice astronomy podcast. The script is really good and the subject matter just right, sadly the people that read it are a bit wooden but they do this for fun and get better every show.
Dr Karl podcast - Dr Karl's Tripple J phone in show because you just can't hear daytime scientific debate about farting on the BBC.
Gilmore Daily - A new addition to my podroll, so far so good.
In Business - Peter Day's great show from Radio 4.

Just a quick post to say that my old buddy Jez Stephenson has started blogging. Why don't you pop by and leave him some abuse? He is also setting up a new affilliate site "Quick Sound" selling guitars and music equipment. Rumour has it that he is thinking of getting into podcasting...