Newegg.com

Need computer hardware? The best place for it is newegg.com. I have purchased a handful of products from newegg over the years. Back in the day when I used to build desktop computers, I purchased a lot of things from newegg.com. I have rarely been able to find better deals elsewhere. The company is based out of Industry, California. Here is an exerpt from their "about us" page:

"Newegg.com opened for business in 2001 and achieved $1.5 billion in annual sales in its first 6 years of operation. Inc. Magazine recently distinguished Newegg in its list of America’s 500 Fastest-Growing Private Companies. We are one of four companies in the list’s 25-year history to qualify on growth merits while also recording $1+ billion in annual sales."

It is a very legitimate, fast-growing company. I have NEVER had a problem with the site, shipping, or any of the products I purchased. The site is very easy to use. It always provides a lot of options for any type of hardware. So, let's do a little shop and compare. Let's say I am in the market for memory. That is a real common need amongst computer owners (especially if you own Vista). Let's say I own an HP Pavilion dv6700t series and want to really upgrade to 4gb of RAM. This computer needs PC2-5300 RAM. I also type in 4gb so that I narrow my options to what I really want. I know that the computer has only two slots (as is common with most laptops) and so I need 2x2gb cards. So, I enter in that info and search (right click the link and open it in a new tab so that you can follow along with me). The least expensive products are around $70. That seems pretty good, but lets check with Bestbuy.com to compare. Here are my results from Bestbuy.com. The cheapest option there is $349.99. Hmmm, a bit of a difference. Okay, so lets just do a search on Google and see what product results we find there. Here are the results. The cheapest, that's not found on ebay, is around $75 and from newegg.com and buy.com.

There you have it, newegg offers a great deal on hardware that anyone can get behind. So get behind it. Check it out and search for things that you may need or want for your computer.

DVD to iPod Supplement: DVD Decrypter

Well, I told y'all about Videora in my last post. This post is a supplement to inform you of the DVD decrypting software that you can use to get the VOB image from you DVD. I would also like to inform you of a free image burner that will burn your DVD image back to a disc. The best thing about these two applications and the ones I told you about last time, is that they are FREE and they are good quality. No spyware, no viruses. Videora has ads, but that's it.
<<>>

First, DVD Decryter: Yeah, that's its name. Pretty straight forward eh? The application itself is really simple. It is not, however, the most user-friendly piece of software out there. That is not to say that you can't figure it out. The best way to use it is in cooperation with Videora. In fact, Videora give you instructions on how to use it best. Make sure that you go through these instructions rather than just trying it on your own. Download DVD Decrypter.

Second, ImgBurn: Yeah, that's its name too. Also straight forward. This is free software that burns the images you pulled off your back onto a writeable DVD. In other words, this is the second phase of the copying a disc process that allows you to burn the VOB image. It is not difficult to use. In fact, it will make itself an option when you insert a blank DVD into your computer. You can also open the program and do it all that way. Experiment with it. It won't be hard for you to figure out. Download DVD Image Burner

That's really all I'm going to say about this particular subject for now. I don't think that these applications need tutorials besides the one proved by Videora. Pleae, if you have questions on how to use any of the software or sites I post here, please feel free to comment, e-mail or contact me using the contact feature on the side.

Ipod Converters

Do you have a video iPod (i.e. classic, touch, nano)? Ever wondered how to put videos on it without having to buy them from iTunes? What you need is a DVD to iPod converter. This software will enable you to turn your DVD's into a compatible format for your iPod (i.e. mpeg4). You see, the problem with the whole iTunes - iPod idea is that it is bad for consumers. I say bad for consumers because the whole idea is designed to limit your use of the iPod to only things bought on iTunes. Fortunately, iTunes allows you to import CD's to your music library, but not DVD's. The reason for that might be because it would make iTunes a much more complex application, however, it is extemely convenient for Apple as they please producers by putting limits on what can be done with their movies AND Apple makes a grip off it. (Note: this is very similar to the reason that the company uses DRM soooo extensively - to please music producers [a critical supplier] and to make a grip of money [from critical consumers]).

First thing to know is: don't EVER pay for a converter. There are countless ways to do it for free. Here are a couple of really good converters that will do everything you want without much hassle. Each has its own benefits. I use Videora and Handbrake primarily and so I will highlight only these apps (click on the links to go to their site). I'm sure that there are other very useful applications and won't you please tell me about them (only if they are free, I won't pay for one, ever)!

Videora - I should begin by saying that DVD to iPod conversion is a two-phase process. First, a DVD must be decrypted, then the decrypted file must be formatted propererly (re-encrypted if you will) to mpeg4. Videora ONLY accomplishes the latter of those two phases. It will format relatively any file already on your hard drive (i.e. VOB, AVI, Divx, etc) but will not decrypt DVD's. For that, you must use a simple decrypter that the application will point you to. The reason I still use this application given this limitation, is because it is by far the most user friendly DVD to iPod application I have encountered (10 out of 10 easy). It is simple to set up a conversion that will convert a TV quality video. The whole process is step-by-step and quite easy to walkthrough. In total, the process takes about 1 1/2 hours per DVD (both phases considered).

Handbrake - This application is probably the most hassle-free to use as it does both phases of the process: DVD decryption and formatting to mpeg4. I have found the quality to be equivalent to Videora. As far as user-friendliness, I give it a 6 out of 10. Its easy to use but it does use a lot of "jargon" that I only learned through trial and error. In total, the process takes around 1 to 1 1/2 hours to complete a conversion. I have had more errors using this software than Videora. I think it is becuase the program does the entire process which means more can go wrong in a single conversion.

The skinny: If you are new to the whole DVD to iPod thing, I would use Videora. It has step-by-step instructions for both DVD decryption and conversion to mpeg4. You would only need to follow those instructions once, then its clear sailing as you will be more comfortable with the process. Handbrake is better for a more seasoned warrior as it uses some technical jargon that I find inconvenient. You can "circumrent" (watch Arrested Development to know what thats funny) these problem by trial and error, however.

Remember that you can convert any DVD you own so have fun with it and good luck. Questions or concerns, post a comment on this post and I will respond.

mp3 Fiesta: Follow Up

A few weeks back, I did a post on mp3 Fiesta, a music download site that is extremely inexpensive, but legal. I have used it a little and would like to review it and address some issues I had with it. I am not going over an old idea because I am out of ideas, just as a follow up... don't worry, my ideas are endless.

Browsing/searching: searching for albums and bands is really quite simple. Just a matter of normal browsing and/or searching. They had everything I was looking for and I think you would be hard pressed to think of a band that they don't have. They, no doubt, have more selection than iTunes, however, they don't have albums with the bonus features that iTunes offers. Sometimes the search feature won't return a band that you typed in. Don't depend solely on this feature as the browse artist link, although more complex, is much more comprehensive (in fact, I typed "led zepplin" into the search field and it didn't return what I wanted. I was worried so I looked under browse artist and I found that they have 43 albums. The problem as you may well have noticed is that I misspelled zeppelin. The search engine does not compensate for such human errors).

No DRM: there is absolutely no digital rights management. That means you can pretty much use the files anywhere you want. You can put them in iTunes, on your iPod, Zune (heaven forbid), or whatever, burn it to a disk, put it on a thumb and share it with friends, you name it, you can do it.

Payment: this was one of the issues I found. I found it to be quite simple, besides a little trick part. You can "load" your account with money from any credit card or bank card (Visa and Mastercard only). In the first step, you give your name, address, phone number, and card type. No card number yet. Then you click "confirm payment" and it goes to another secure page where you input your other information (i.e. card, security code, etc). The issue I had with this process was that 3 out of the 5 times I tried, the site didn't connect me with the confirmation page where I input the card number. Weird. The site may have been having problems because it did work two of the other times. The only other issue here is that you cannot determine the amount you load besides the 5 given options ($19.90, $29.90, $39.90, $49.90, and $99.90).

Downloading: after finding what you want, the download link is simple and you simply confirm you want to download a song and it goes to your download page (part of your account). The cool thing here is that the downloads are available for 48 hours after point of purchase. You can also share your downloads with trusted friends and family from this point as the files can be downloaded as many times as you want within 48 hours. THE PROBLEM: the download process is painstaking. Rediculously painstaking. You have to right click (no left clicking, or else) and select "save target as" and individually save each file to a specific spot on your hard drive. Annoying... aggravatingly so.

All in all, the site is great. The price makes the downloading hassle worth it. I got around 5 albums for 10 bucks. Thats great! I give the site an 8 out of 10, points off for some of the hassle and confusing/restricting payment process.

Virtualization Bonus: Virtualizing Disk Drives

Well, today's subject (bonus subject mind you) is potentially a little confusing. But, here we go anyway.

The past 3 days we have talked about virtualization. We focused on vitualizing operating systems. If you don't know what I'm talking about, go back and read the posts from the last few days. Today's subject is also virtualization, however, not in the context of virtualizing whole operating systems but in the context of virtualizing a simple CD/DVD drive. So lets start with a few definitions and then get into the practical application of the glorious concept.

Virtual Drive: a virtual drive is a psuedo-drive that appears to be a CD/DVD drive on your computer. For example, when you have a virtual drive going (we will talk about how later) it appears as another disk drive in "My Computer" or Finder or whatever. The important and obvious thing here is that the drive is not real. There is no where else to put an actual CD or DVD but your existing, physical drive. Virtual drives deal with disk images, not actual disks. So what is a disk image?

Disk Image: simply, an image of a disk... wow, what a definition. Really, a disk image is like a copy of a disk (be it CD,DVD, hard disk, whatever) that is placed on your hard drive in the format of an image (i.e. ISO). Think of it as an archive (place where information is stored) of some disk.

ISO: a specific file format of a disk image. For example, all files on a computer have a specific file format. Microsoft uses .doc or .docx for Word documents, .exe for executable files (files that do something like install or run a program), etc. So, ISO (.iso) is the file format of a disk image.

Mount: a verb (to mount) related to the loading of a disk image onto a virtual drive. (used in a sentence: "I mounted the image using Daemon Tools")

Daemon Tools: a specific program (FREE) that creates virtual drives on your computer (only compatible with Windows - Mac does not need this as it is already integrated into the OS). Click here to download.

Okay, so how does this all jive together and help us out. Well, sometimes you can obtain certain programs in the form of an image. You can't just double click these images and run the program or install the software or watch the movie or whatever. You need something that will "mount" the image onto a drive. You could just burn the image to a disk (using Nero or something, although that uses an actual disk which is a waste) or you could simply use a virtual drive. Daemon Tools (previously defined) is a disk virtualization software that creates up to 4 number of virtual drives and allows you to mount disk images and run them. Just last week I downloaded a free, open source operating system. I downloaded it as a disk image and I installed it as a disk image, I didn't have to even burn it. It saved me time and effort. I love it.


Left: see the number of CD/DVD drives I have. Only one of those is an actual physical drive.

Right: You can see the same disk drives window, and also the Daemon tools on the tool tray.

Daemon Tools is free software for Windows only. I like it more than any other one so try it out. Any virtualization software like VMware also uses virtual drives but does not require supplemental software.

I will have more in the future that will hopefully help you see the practical application of virtual drives.

Virtualization Part 3: VMware Fusion

Welcome to Part 3 of our Virtualization mini-series. Today's feature is VMware Fusion. If you didn't read Part 1: Basics of Virtualization or Part 2: VMware Workstation, you can follow those links to the posts. This post will wrap up our discussion of virtualization and I hope that it wasn't a total bust. I hope it was interesting for y'all to read.

VMware Fusion is basically the same thing as VMware Workstation only made specially for Mac. Wait Windows users, before you stop reading, this is important for you to know because this is how you can run both Mac and Windows OS's without even a hiccup (when you buy a Mac). Fusion allows you to run any OS (Vista, XP, Linux, even Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, whatever!) just like Workstation. In Part 2, I explained how the virtualization software works on the surface. Basically, it sets up fake hard drives in normal file folders and uses those folders to install the OS. Fusion is the same as Workstation in that regard. Pretty much, although there are many differences, the two software suites are basically the same. The big difference (as far as I can tell) is a single feature: Unity Mode.

Unity Mode allows you to run an operating system (I will be using XP for my examples - its way better than Vista) as if the operating system wasn't actually running (just so you know, my computer is a Macbook with a 2.4GHz Intel 2 Duo and 4 GB of DDR2 RAM). So what does that mean? Well, basically it hides the actual Fusion window and makes it appear as if the OS weren't running. You can, however, load any Windows program as if it was part of the Mac. So, if you were considering getting a Mac (because they are sweet), but were afraid that you wouldn't be able to run those Windows programs you love so much, don't worry about it. You can run them without problem. Here, take a look at some of these screen shots from my own computer:

You can see here, XP running inside Mac. Look at the top title bar and notice that it says VMware Fusion.

This is Fusion running XP which is running Firefox

The Unity icon that switches to Unity mode (from this point on, the shots will be in Unity mode)

This is Unity Mode with the Windows Task Bar. You can see that the desktop is my Mac desktop and the Task Bar is XP's.

This one is Unity Mode without the task bar. You can open programs using the Fusion bar on top, selecting applications, etc. All the programs on that list are from XP.

Unity Mode running My Computer. Notice the bottom icon that says, shared folder on .host(z). That is the network connection between my virtual XP and my Mac.

Lastly, Mac Spaces demonstrating XP in fullscreen mode running its own, autonomous space from the rest of my Mac computer.

Whew, thats that. Well I hope you have enjoyed this mini-series on Virtualization. My hope is that you learned something and have a desire to either experiment or learn more about it. Make comments if you have questions and I will answer them. Thanks for reading!

Virtualization Part 2: VMware Workstation

Welcome to Part 2 of the virtualization mini-series. If you didn't get a chance to read Part 1: Virtualization, you should read it before going on (I wrote it so it must be good, right?).

VMware Workstation is a software suite that allows you to virtualize in a desktop environment. It is software that allows you to run multiple operating systems within your native operating system seamlessly. Lets begin with a scenario:

Lets say you were reading a really cool blog about cool internet sites and software when you learned about an operating system (OS). You would really like to try out the OS on my computer but it seems complicated and you think you would need to format your computer. Not so! All you need is a virtualization software. It is actually quite simple and requires little know-how. You won't even need to format. You can simply download the trial version of VMware Workstation (definitely not a free software package, although free ones exist) and try it out... FREE. All you need to do is load up Workstation and follow the steps (I have them ready to go for you right here). So now you can try out the OS without messing up your current system. Better yet, you can run both operating systems at the same time.

How does it work? Basically the software sets up a pseudo partition on your hard drive. It creates a file folder somewhere on your drive (you choose the spot - it defaults to a folder called virtual drives, or something) and allows for that file folder to be formatted (according to the file system of a particular OS) and an OS put on it. You determine the size and everything. You can even set it up so that the partition is only the size required by the OS and then anything you want to install using on that OS, you put on your native drive using the network connection that is automatically set up when you install. VMware powers up and runs the operating system and it runs like any other application. You must also (when setting up the partition) determine the memory allocation, processor allocation, etc. The beautiful thing is that both operating systems run together like two friends... and you get to hang out with both of them (wow that was a nerdy metaphor). Just know that you cannot run a Mac OS on VMware Workstation without some tweaking. The tweaking process is not easy. If you want to try it, find a tutorial via Google.

Screenshots anyone? (Left: XP running Vista. Right: Vista running XP)















Try It Free (the full version costs moneys)

3 Part Series: Virtualization

This is the first part in a 3 part series on Virtualization. Today's part is an explanation on virtualization and the next 2 parts highlight two specific products that I feel are the best. I hope you like the information. I realize this post will be highly "information dense" but the next 2 will be more product/site based. Enjoy!

Virtualization. This is a very important word for the future of computing (business computing especially). Virtualization (in the terms we are talking) is the creation of psuedo-partitions on a hard disk upon which an operating system can be installed (virtualized) and used. Basically, it is the creation of an operating system that runs within an existing operating system through some application (i.e. VMware, Virtual Desktop, etc). It really isn't a very complicated idea from this standpoint. For example, I run Mac OS X and I virtualize Windows XP, Windows Vista, and most any Linux distro on my computer so that I can use some of the programs that only run on Windows and play with Linux.

So why is virtualization important for corporate computer needs? Great question. Think about what it takes to run a corportate network. There are lots and lots of computers and monitors, each computer has its own hard drive and is attached to the network where some central storage exists. Think about a big company like Google. They require A LOT of storage space for all of their computers AND their business processes. They offer online storage as a service to people like me, but also they have to keep records and store a lot of stuff. Where do they get their storage space? They have to buy it from third party vendors. This is a costly proposition when you consider the amount of storage needed (petabytes, someday exabytes). If a company like Google can save on the amount of space their operating systems take up on storage, they can save a lot of clams. The Solution: virtualize data and virtualize storage. Google can (and does) buy software that virtualizes storage drives in one storage drive for many operating systems at once. Check out the diagram. Each box represents a physical storage volume. Can you see how the numerous OS (operating system) volumes are combined into one, centralized disk? Now, rather than 3 volumes you have 1. Think of this on a LARGE scale: rather than thousands of volumes, you have a few.

Further, virtualization software is able to centralize key components of each operating system (i.e. the kernel - the basic building block of the operating system) and share it over the operating systems. This DRAMATICALLY cuts down on the amount of storage needs. I have heard that through proper vitualization, firms can save up to 90% storage space (from a very knowleadgable source that works for NetApp - a storage company). That is huge when you consider the amount of dollar savings associated. As Harry Caray would say: "Holy Cow."

So how does virtualization affect you and me? I use virtualized operating systems everyday (as I mentioned) so that I have further functionality on my computer. Truthfully, though, it doesn't have to affect us unless we want it to. If you are a part of a major corporation, chances are they are using virtualization to some extent. If you just like to play with stuff like I do, then virtualization is fun. If you would like to learn how to use other operating systems to expound your horizons, virtualization is an easy way to do it. Its great. Even better, if one day you will own a major company or corporation and be making millions of dollars and want to make more dollars, you will be using virutalized storage and software. If you want to know if your company utilizes this technology, ask your IT guy or gal. They would probably love to talk about it, and you might impress them with your newfound knowledge.

That's it for this post: a very, VERY basic description of virtualization. The main type of virtualization we will talk about in Parts 2 and 3 are operating system virtualization and we will focus on specific products of VMware (i.e. Workstation and Fusion). If you want more information about read this, this, or this... or watch this.

Spaces

This post, unfortunately, is not one you can use unless you own a Mac. But wait! Its really cool so you should still read it. This post is all about Spaces.

What is Spaces? Spaces is software that comes attached to Mac OSx 10 (Leapord, for our purposes). The basic idea is that it splits up your desktop into numerous spaces. Other operating systems do this too (like Linux) and in really spiffy ways too. But the way Mac does it is pretty sweet. So here is a case example for you: Lets say that during your typical session in front of the computer you will listen to music, watch some Youtube videos, check your mail, balance your budget, and find directions to a store downtown. All of these tasks will require that you open some sort of program and maybe even keep it running. You might even be a huge multi-tasker (like me) and want all of the programs open at once so you can do them at your leisure. Okay, as you all know, having a lot of windows open in can really be a mess on the desktop. You wish there was a way to divide these tasks by function so that you can clear away some of the clutter. Well, Spaces does that for you. Spaces allows you to create a variety of desktops that you can select between seamlessly. Here is a snapshot of my Spaces. Right now I am using 6. I used to use 4 but it just wasn't enough anymore... Click on the image to make it big.


As you can see, I am checking out my favorite blog, doing homework behind that, listening to music on iTunes, I am gettting ready to type up a paper for calss, I have my calandar, mail, and chat up, I am checking out Google Earth, AND I am running Windows XP. All of this is taking place at once, on seperate "desktops" and I can switch between the without a problem (the screen shot is the screen that allows me to select which desktop I want to go to). Holy Cow, huh? Its pretty sweet. The best thing about it is I don't have a clutter of windows on one desktop but as many windows I want, spread accross however many Spaces I want. I love Spaces.

StarDock: Object Dock

My brother told me about a cool site called StarDock. StarDock is a desktop enhancements company. They make software that makes your desktop look cooler, basically. Anyway, they have a lot of software and I might get around to reviewing more of it but for the time being, I wanted to introduce you to something that will "Mac-ify" your machine. Stardock has a product called ObjectDock, which works exactly like the dock on a Mac. Here are some screenshots I made (the one on the left shows the Windows taskbar as well a the dock, the one on the right shows the taskbar hidden so that the desktop looks a lot like a Mac desktop):

Download Now!

So what is the point? Does it really look that much better or make life easier or whatever? Good question. That is one that you will have to answer for yourself. You will just have to download it and try it out. I will tell you why I prefer it (but I am a Mac user so I guess I am biased). Understand that this a new way to look at Windows.

Organization: Windows start up menu is okay. I mean, I like that it potentially aids in keeping the desktop organized. Personally, I have a huge (HUGE) problem with desktop clutter. I hate it so much. It is ugly and confusing (no offense to anyone with a "clutter-top" - "couldn't you at least try a new profession" - what movie is that from?). So, organization comes when you take your favorite programs off the desktop and place them on the dock. Really, all you have to do is go to the start menu, find the program, click and drag the icon to the dock and vuala! You can also do this (although it is done for you) with your my documents folder, my music, my movies, whatever. Same concept: click and drag to dock. It sure is pretty!

Accessibility: I like to be able to access whatever program or document from a simple place (that isn't the desktop!).

Its fun and neat looking: if for no other reason, its just fun to do and use. It makes your desktop look neat. You can customize the look to match your aesthetic preferences.

I recommend this software highly. I think its great. Macs are expensive (and better) and this is one way to enjoy some of the basic features of the Mac on a PC. Stay tuned to the site for a 3-part series of posts on Mac v. PC and running Mac on your PC (what? you can do that? YES).

Download Now!

Picasa

This is what Google says about Picasa:

• Locate and organize all the photos on your computer.
• Edit and add effects to your photos with a few simple clicks.
• Share your photos with others through email, prints, and on the web: it’s fast, easy and free.

I tried out the software and I think it is pretty decent, especially if you don't have a Mac. Why do I say that? Well, in my opinion, the photo management in Windows really sucks. I have used both Vista and XP to manage photos and I have to say that neither match up to the abilities of Mac's iPhoto(which may be why Google has not produced a Mac version of Picasa, there is just no need). So, Picasa is really good for XP and Vista users because it fills that lack of photo management software void. It is easily just as good as iPhoto. It even has more features.

Compare screenshots I made of Picasa (left) and iPhoto (right):












Features:

Import: Picasa imports all of your existing photos from your hard drive automatically when you first start up. You can then import more pictures from any device (camera, USB drive, etc) using the import button on the top. The neat thing about this feature is that Picasa will automatically organize the photos according to date, into albums. Lets say you went to the park with the family and took a bunch a pictures. You then import those picture into Picasa and it sets them up as an event according to the date (or action of importing in general - for events that span multiple dates) and puts them in an album. You can now see, manage, and edit all the photos you imported. Simple and amazing.

Get Organized: Picasa allows you to organize your photos according to albums. It would be the equivalent of creating a folder for your pictures in explorer but it does it much "easierly" and with a lot more style.

Edit: Picasa also works as a basic photo editor. You can fix red eye, add effects, change contrast, brightness, etc.

E-mail, Blog, Export: Picasa is tied to your Gmail account and you can use it to e-mail photos via email. You can also post photos directly to your blog using the "blog this" feature. Lastly, you can export photos out of Picasa in the same organized way your brought it in.

Collage and Screensavers: Last, but not least, you can make photo arrangements (collages) and screensavers using Picasa. They are easy to make and somewhat fun.

So there you have it. Picasa. Its a great piece of software for XP and Vista. Just make sure that you try it out and really like it before you purchase it. Wait a second.... Its FREE!!
DOWNLOAD IT NOW!

Never say never again.

...A good theme to end my wallowing in self-pity. I faltered, it is true. I didn't feel like it mattered if I kept going with the blog but, alas, I must continue. There are people that care. My new mantra is that as long as one person benefits from the blog, my efforts are validated. So, with the support of Sean Connery as James Bond, I say, Never Say Never Again.

MP3 Fiesta

For a review of the site, click here. Well I am back from a vacation during which I was unable to post cool sites. Hopefully that doesn't mean that I lost my two site viewers (although I know I lost one, my wife, because she was with me and also unable to access the internet). As a coming back present for you, I have a really, freakin' sweet site that will save you money: MP3 Fiesta.

Its a fiesta baby! An MP3 Fiesta. I love iTunes for obvious reasons (music, accessible, inexpensive). I could probably spend hundreds of dollars a week on music if I had my way. Well, I don't. I need an alternative to spending $.99 a song to save on pennies. The alternative: MP3Fiesta. MP3 Fiesta is an online music store much like iTunes that costs a significant amount less than iTunes. I honestly don't know a ton about where the site is based but assume that it is based out of Europe where they don't have copyright laws like they do here. So, that means cheaper music without DRM (digital rights management).

So how cheap is it? The new Death Cab for Cutie album costs $1.98. Cost per song: $.20. Legal? Nothing is 100% but it is legal in Europe and the "internet" has no national boundaries. Check it out. I love it. My thanks to Nate for the idea.

Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3

Call me a nerd... I love the Command and Conquer games. You won't see me post much at all about computer games because, well, I don't play them. But, I hope to play this game. The simple reason is that I have played nearly every Command and Conquer game that Westwood (i.e. EA Games) has put out. I love them! This next one looks like its going to be really sweet too. I remember playing Red Alert 2 with my brothers over the internet. I hope to do the same with this game! Check out the trailer (if you can't get it working, just follow this link: