Nero: Fiddling While ROM Burns
With a pun like that embedded in the name of the application, I should probably call the current version "Nero Ate", but I would never do that. A new interface that works well with Vista makes some of the tools in the suite easier to find, but there are so many features that new users and even veterans can be confused. This is not a complaint about too many features; it's just an observation. Work with Nero for a while and you'll comprehend.
At the center of the suite are the disc-ripping and disc-burning functions that were once the entire application. Nero still can't (and probably never will) back up protected CDs and DVDs. Most CDs aren't protected, but most DVDs are. To create an image that can be burned to a blank disc requires an application such as DVD43 (a plugin) or DVD Fab. Once you have an ISO file on your hard drive, Nero will burn that file to a new DVD. Later versions of Nero include options to manage movies, music, and photos. Nero supports HD and Blu-ray DVDs, but support for HD DVD is now a moot point.
If you have Nero 7 Ultra, you can upgrade for $49. Otherwise, you'll pay up to $99 for a box version or $79 for a download (significant discounts are available from online retailers).
<<< If you have a Vista system, be sure to right-click the installation file and choose Run as Administrator.
Be sure to pay attention during the installation, too. Nero will offer to install the Ask toolbar. I always refuse these kinds of requests because I know which programs I want to use. Nero isn't unique in wanting to take over every media function on the computer, but at least the program is polite and asks. By default, it will select almost everything and that's probably not what you really want.
Give some thought to which functions you want Nero to answer for. For example, if I double-click an ISO file that's stored on my hard drive, I want Nero to wake up and offer to burn a disc from that file. On the other hand, if I put a music CD in the computer's CD/DVD player, I don't want Nero to wake up and offer to play it. You can control this during the installation; making changes later is decidedly difficult.
When you start Nero, you'll be presented with a StartSmart screen that shows general categories of tasks, specific functions, and a user-defined quick-launch panel. Options along the top now include Rip and Burn, Create and Edit, Home Entertainment and Back Up. The left-hand navigation lists Data Burning, Audio Burning, Audio Ripping, and Copy Disc functions. This means that experienced users can populate the quick-launch panel with the applications they use the most and that new users can just tell Nero what they want to do and let Nero select the appropriate application. The suite includes 16 applications.
Nero's equivalent of a Windows Start Menu is located in the lower left corner of the StartSmart panel. This is the location you'll use for access to any specific application, assuming you know which one you want.
This isn't an application for a feeble computer. You'll need Windows 2000 with SP4, XP, or Vista. Nero's publisher recommends 512MB of RAM for Vista and 256MB for XP or Windows 2000. In fact, for decent operation Windows 2000 and XP should have at least 1GB of RAM and Vista needs 2GB of RAM. If you plan to do much video manipulation, you'll need hundreds of gigabytes of fast hard drive storage.
The entertainment industry seems to think that users should buy DVDs for use at home and then pay again if they want to use the video on a portable device. That is nonsense, of course, and Nero 8's new features include the ability to convert DVD files for use on an iPod, PSP, or other mobile device. As noted, you'll still need to work around the copy protection to do this.
New users may be puzzled by the various interfaces presented by the applications. These interfaces haven't changed from previous versions, so long-time users won't be lost but new users may wonder why there isn't more similarity from one application to another. It's possible to open one of the applications and then have no obvious way to get back to the Quick-Start menu. You may also be a bit confused, after installing and registering the application to see an update notice.
You may be told that you have trial version that's about to expire, but if you visit the Nero Control Center, you'll see that your license is current and not scheduled to expire.
Just a Few of the Pieces
- Nero Vision 5 lets you make slide shows on DVDs and CDs using digital images. It's no Photoshop, but Vision includes the ability to perform some basic photo editing.
- If you want to make music or video discs, Nero Express is the application you'll use.
- There's Nero BackItUp that lets you create recovery discs and schedule periodic data backups. I'm not a fan of using CDs or DVDs for backup, but any backup on any media is better than no backup. If you're not currently backing up your data, use Nero BackItUp.
Bottom line: If ROM is burning, you want Nero 8.
Nero 8 has a somewhat difficult learning curve because of its broad and deep feature set, but there's nothing better on the market if you want to take control of media files on your computer.
For more information, visit Nero website.
A Random Thought
HOMICIDE, n. The slaying of one human being by another. There are four kinds of homicide: felonious, excusable, justifiable, and praiseworthy, but it makes no great difference to the person slain whether he fell by one kind or another—the classification is for advantage of the lawyers.
—
Ambrose Bierce (American writer, journalist and editor, 1842-1914)
"Praiseworthy" would seem to apply to homicides involving spammers and the creators of viruses and worms.
Spam
Spam can be laughable, stupid, demeaning, amusing, threatening. I have to wonder if some of the people who write spam subject lines (think of them as headlines on ads) might not make more money in a legitimate advertising business. In some cases, they have mastered the discipline of headline writing. Some of the messages are compellingly well titled. In most cases, though, there's more stupidity than cleverness.
- abelard hungmok: Volcano eruptions detected
Fake "news" report from someone I don't know? Yeah. I'm likely to open that. - barnaby sue-elle: Three weeks of thunderstorm coming
Fake "weather" report from someone I don't know? Yeah. I'm likely to open that. - benjie angelo: Downloadable porno DVD's for free
Here's a news flash: Porno DVDs aren't free. - bent eddie: You can be sure
Do I know "bent eddie"? I don't think so. - brenden soua: Escape artist gets caught shopping
Fake "news" report from someone I don't know? Yeah. I'm likely to open that. - byrle koji: Win at world`s best gambling house
Hello! Your apostrophe is going the wrong direction. - Chael Poort: New special information for you. noosed vamps.
Watch out for "noosed vamps". - charlie gable: Your ex-gf will be begging to come back to her
Does my wife know about this ex-gf? - Chase Bank: Account Identity Check
Sorry, but Chase already know who I am. - christian: is it you? christian here
Nope, it's not me. - cliff red: Marketing Assistant Required - 1500/week
You're offering a $78K job via spam? I don't think so. - ColonExperts: See what Katie Couric has to say about Colon Cancer
Do I care what Katie Couric has to say about anything? The answer is no. - Curtis Ward: Fight your incompetence in this field
Fight what incompetence in which field? - Dawn Mackey: Swell copies of elite watches
It's SWELLL. It's MATTELL. That slogan went out with the '50s. - Debora Epps: Watch your health improve with our help
Dubious. - DegreeSearch: You could triple your income with a college degree
I could triple my income without one, too. - denny jorge: /iagra: save more buying more!
Here's a hint: I can save 100% by not buying any of your fake pills. - elwin sidharta: We caught you naked in the shower william.blinn
You know, I really think I would have noticed you there in the bathroom with a camera. - Enjoyalaptop: A new Apple MacBook Air could be yours!
It could indeed, if I would be willing to pay for it. - franklin bradford: Re: Submit a Virus Sample
Anybody want to bet that opening this message would attempt to plant a virus on my computer? - Graphic Design Schools: Study graphic design at an amazing school.
Graphic design is hard work. Just ask my younger daughter. - gunter juli: MSG ID:94781 Clad your feet in luxury
I'd rather clad my feet in comfort. - Hainson: Pope killed by assasin in Vatican City
Fake "news" report from someone I don't know? Yeah. I'm likely to open that. - hamish vincent: MSG ID:48869 Thousands of branded footwear
Isn't branding for cows? - hanan tod: You can save up to 70% on Cialis !
I can save 100% if I don't buy your fake crap. - henry shannon: incredible prices for best drug$!
If you have legitimate drugs, you can probably spell "drugs". - Horoscope: What lies ahead may surprise you
Then again, it may not. - irune: American love story in Iraq
All the chicken-hawk patriots will be clicking this one. - Itzi Idite: New special information for you. grim vice.
Just like the Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In Church Lady. Special. - jayme neil: Admininstrative Officer Required - 1500/week
Deja vu all over again. - kean patti: V1agra GET IT HERE!
Try spelling it right and I might believe you. Then again, maybe not. - Kisjolkin: North korea nuclear fallout
Fake "news" report from someone I don't know? Yeah. I'm likely to open that. - kristo georgia: Ci@lis letter fot you!
Try spelling it right and I might believe you. Then again, maybe not. - Sison: Ninja attack in New York Times Square
Fake "news" (not even Fox would do something this dumb) report from someone I don't know? Yeah. I'm likely to open that. - Subprime Credit Approvals: Activate Your $10,000.00 Line Of Credit!
Sub-prime is dead. Do you keep up with the news? - TheLottoSystem: Can You Win the Lotto Jackpot?
Only if I play and lotteries are taxes on the mathematically challenged folks. - Wall Street Journal: The Wall Street Journal Limited-Time Offer - Must Act Now
Yeah, it figures that the Wall Street Journal is now using spam.
I don't care much about the sexual content of the Internet. It's easy enough to eliminate if you're not interested. But consider the examples shown at the left and at the right here.
On the left is a spam for "CP" sites. I have no idea how much child pornography exists, but I suspect that it's far less than the fear mongers would have us believe. Regardless, there is apparently a market for what can only be described as disgusting and perverted pornography that involves children.
The spam shown above lists 7 supposed "CP" sites and it's likely that each site does contain some of this crap. But the main purpose of each site will undoubtedly be to infect your computer so that it can be used for illegal purposes. This would be fitting punishment except that your computer will probably be used to serve more content such as that shown here. Do the world a favor if you're into child pornography: Just commit suicide. (Sorry if that seems a bit harsh coming from someone who generally opposes the death penalty, but this is one crime for which there is no reasonable defense. Children are not toys for disturbed adults.)
As for the example shown at the right, the girls are all of "legal" age. If you follow the link, though, you're going to have trouble because the link is to an executable file that will probably install something bad on your computer. (WARNING: The image at the right is censored, but the larger image you'll see if you click it to enlarge is not.)
Bottom line: Avoid links in spams, period.
Visual Fuzziness
Four years ago, I had a cataract removed from my right eye. That's much better than having one removed from the wrong eye. On Tuesday of this week, I had a cataract removed from my left eye, which was the right eye for the surgery. In case you're thinking about having this done someday, the procedure has advanced a lot since the 1960s when my grandmother had similar surgery that required a week in the hospital, head immobilized by sand bags, followed by a couple of weeks at home, confined to a darkened room.
Today's cataract surgery involves about 2 hours of preparation, followed by a 15-minute surgical procedure. During the procedure, you're awake and listening to your doctor tell bad jokes. Your arms are strapped down, one eye is taped open and the other is taped closed, and your arms are restrained. Apparently they don't want the patient to wander away.
After spending about 30 minutes in the recovery area, you walk out and are sent home. The following day you can drive, but you need to avoid getting into fist-fights or lifting small cars over your head for about a week.
In my case, I'll have 2 badly unbalanced eyes for about a month because vision in the left eye won't stabilize until then and I can't get a new prescription for glasses until the vision stabilizes. That means one eye will focus here and the other eye will focus way out over -----------> there (somewhere). Think of it as the visual equivalent of driving for a month on one of those little spare tires that are included with most cars these days.
By Friday, the swelling in the eye had subsided and the vision in that eye had improved from lousy to good. On Monday I can go back to work.
Nerdly News
Apple: Profitability by Filing Suit
Apple developed a personal computer based on proprietary hardware and software, then maintained control over peripherals that would work with the system. IBM developed a personal computer based on commonly available hardware (and freely published specifications) and allowed anyone to make peripherals. The result has been more chaotic on the IBM side and quality control is sometimes an issue, but the market share (90-plus percent for the IBM and Windows market) tells the story. Now Apple has filed suit against a company that had the temerity to build a "universal" computer.
Psystar would like you to have an "open computer". Apple disagrees and has filed suit against the company, alleging copyright infringement and Apple says it wants Psystar to recall all of the OSX-capable machines it has sold. In April, Psystar began selling what it called the "Open Computer", which uses what Apple calls a "modified version of Apple's OSX" that includes "unauthorized patches" from Apple's website.
Apple's suit: "By misappropriating Apple's proprietary software and intellectual property for its own use, Psystar's actions harm consumers by selling to them a poor product that is advertised and promoted in a manner that falsely and unfairly implies an affiliation with Apple."
The only part of the action that's unusual or surprising is the request for a total recall of all machines sold. As Apple probably knows, that would put Psystar out of business.
Think different.
Hey! Wanna Buy an AOL Cheap?
Microsoft wants Yahoo. Yahoo doesn't want Microsoft. Time Warner has finally figured out that AOL isn't worth very much and keeps trying to find a buyer. C'mon, won't somebody take the girl with the skinny legs? (Sorry, to Joe Tex for borrowing your lyric.) Time Warner continues to pitch AOL to Microsoft and Yahoo, but nobody's catching.
The value of AOL continues to decline.
Time Warner shareholders are hoping that the company can get a bidding war going, but nobody is showing much interest. Google owns 5% of AOL and that could confuse the situation a bit.
Will Microsoft do any better? Probably not. Microsoft can't even get its own Windows Live service working properly when it comes to something simple like reporting the current temperature. Notice the wildly out-of-date temperature shown on the Windows Live home page shown here. This happens because the page doesn't automatically refresh.
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