Author: Rick

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Adding Music to iTunes from a USB drive

If you copy music into your iTunes library, there is a setting in iTunes that will make it easier to deal with your library.

Consolidate Library

Let’s take an example. By default, when you take MP3s on a USB drive and drag them into iTunes, the music will show up in iTunes. However, iTunes is still using the files that are located on your USB drive.  As soon as you remove the USB drive, those songs in the iTunes library will have an exclamation point next to them and not be playable.

The problem has to due with the “Consolidate Library” feature. Consolidating the library moves all your music that is in the iTunes library to the iTunes folder. This keeps everything together. Oddly, this feature is not on by default.

Solution

If you want to avoid this problem and keep iTunes organized automatically, go to:

For iTunes Windows: iTunes > Edit > Preferences > Advanced tab
For iTunes Mac: iTunes > Preferences > Advanced tab

Make sure “Keep iTunes Music folder organized” is checked
Make sure “Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library” is checked

iTunes Consolidate Library

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Windows 7 Launch

It’s A Party

Windows 7 is arriving next Thursday October 22nd. Microsoft has sent out many house party kits for people to celebrate this launch. While it is dorky, it still is helping to generate buzz. Microsoft has a video on how to host a launch party that has been widely parodied.

Here’s my party pack, complete with streamers, puzzle, cards, tote bags, poster and napkins:

Windows 7 Launch Party

It was probably more fun to wait in line for the Windows 95 launch at a CompUSA and get free pizza, but that’s not possible anymore. So I’ll be doing Microsoft’s so-unhip-that-hopefully-its-hip party.

Windows 7 Resources

As with Vista, Windows 7’s pricing, features, and versions are not simple.

Microsoft has a Windows 7 site and a Compare Editions page.

However, I prefer Paul Thurrot’s SuperSite for Windows with great official and unofficial information:

  • Windows 7: All Paul Thurrot’s Windows 7 articles
  • Comparison of Windows 7 versions. It’s a bit complicated, but most people will probably want Home Premium.
  • Pricing for various versions. Advanced users will probably purchase the cheaper OEM versions. There is also the ability to upgrade from one version of Windows Vista or 7 to higher version within the operating system using Windows Anytime Upgrade.
  • Upgrading or migrating to Windows 7. One of the more surprising things for the many Windows XP users will be that they can not upgrade to Windows 7. A clean install followed by a migration is needed. That is a difficult process that will encourage most people to simply buy a new computer.
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Dropbox Tips and Tricks

Dropbox is one of my favorite tools to help small businesses in the D.C. area share files on the cheap.

Dropbox Wiki Info

Besides simply sharing files with your friends, office co-workers, or just your other computers, there are lots of other uses.

See the Tips and Tricks page and Dropbox Add-on page on the Dropbox Wiki explaining things such as:

Other Dropbox Tips and Tricks

  • See any updates that occur to your Dropbox files with the free Growl (Mac) program. Dropbox for Windows does this through the Dropbox System Tray Icon. This is especially useful if you are sharing folders and need to be notified when there are new files.Dropbox Growl Notification
  • Automatically make web photo galleries by moving pictures to the Dropbox Photos directory either from a computer or using the free iPhone Dropbox App.

iPhone Dropbox

  • Use a Dropbox Add-on that allows you to quickly move a file to a public folder and place the URL the clipboard. This makes sending people a file super easy.
  • Change shared folder names. For example, I share a folder with Joe that I name “Joe”. Joe can accept to join that folder and then rename the folder “Rick” so that it makes more sense for him. The great thing here is that the folder is still named “Joe” for me. Alternatively, I can share a folder with Joe that I have named “Rick” and then rename it to “Joe” once he has joined that folder. On Windows machines, renaming a shared folder has sometimes caused me to leave a shared folder. To get around that quirk, rename a shared folder from the Dropbox website.
  • Move shared folders. You can move shared folders, for example, to a directory named “Shared” or “Work”. This does not affect any of the shared users.

Sign Up Referrals

Dropbox ReferralDropbox is free for 2GB of space. See their pricing for more space. One of the reasons that Dropbox has quickly grown in popularity is their referral program. Once you sign up, you can invite others and get 250MB of extra space for everyone you sign up. On that note, please use my Dropbox referral when signing up for Dropbox to give both of us an extra 250MB of space.

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Microsoft Security Essentials

Microsoft officially released Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) today. It is a free tool to protect your computer from malware, viruses, spyware, rootkits, and trojans. Unlike the previously released Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT), MSE runs all the time and actively searches for threats.

Blurb from Microsoft:
Microsoft Security Essentials

Early tests show MSE to be very effective at catching threats. It updates itself automatically and without hassle.

It takes over all antivirus functions and is recommended to be run as the ONLY antivirus software on a computer. You should not run it alongside other popular software such as Norton Antivirus, McAfee, or AVG. Presumably this would cause the antivirus software to fight it out on your computer, hurting system resources and confusing one antivirus program, for example, when it finds a virus in the other antivirus’ quarantined vault.

I recommend this for all Windows computers: Windows XP, Vista, and 7.  The only exceptions are pirated versions of Windows since MSE requires Windows Genuine Advantage to run and make sure that your copy of Windows is legit.

MSE has a small footprint with low minimum requirements:

  • For Windows XP, a PC with a CPU clock speed of at least 500MHz and at least 1GB of RAM
  • For Windows Vista and Windows 7, a PC with a CPU with clock speed of at least 1.0GHz and at least 1GB of RAM
  • VGA (display): 800×600 or higher
  • Storage: 140MB of available hard-disk space
  • An Internet connection is required for installation and to download the latest virus and spyware definitions

MSE Quick Scan

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Dropbox to Sync, Share, and Save Your Data

What is Dropbox?

Dropbox is a service that runs from Windows, Mac, and Linux computers that gives you a virtual drive which stores files on the Dropbox servers. This drive can be synced automatically with all your computers. You can share the files, folders, or photo galleries with anyone, even people who don’t use Dropbox.

Think of it as a magic folder. It is a great service for people who want to:

  • share data across multiple computers
  • share data with friends and coworkers
  • have a backup of important files stored off-site in case of theft or fire

Video Tour from Dropbox

Cost

Dropbox is free for 2GB of space, $10/month for 50GB, or $20/month for 100GB.

Sign Up

Sign up for Dropbox by clicking on this Dropbox Referral Link in order to give both of us an extra 250MB for free.

New Developments

Dropbox popularity has grown dramatically over the past year and its capabilities are growing regularly. New versions will have direct peer-to-peer syncing making it faster for computers on the same network.

Users can reach Dropbox files through the iPhone formatted website:
http://www.getdropbox.com/iphone/login

iPhone Dropbox AppUPDATE: An official iPhone app for Dropbox was released today. The iPhone Dropbox app allows you to not only access dropbox as you could through the website, but also to:

  • download files for offline viewing
  • take and sync photos and videos with Dropbox
  • set up a photo gallery with your iPhone photos
  • share links to Dropbox with your iPhone contacts