I finally made the jump to Firefox 2.0 last week. So far it’s been smooth sailing. A few of my extensions didn’t work or didn’t have a 2.0 update. But no worries. There are enough extensions now that finding a replacement was quite easy. Here’s a list of the extensions I’m currently running on Firefox 2.0:

• Cute Menus – Adds icons to all your menu items
• DownloadThemAll – Mass downloader
• Forecast Fox – Display weather forecast in your Firefox status bar
• FoxyTunes – Control nearly any media player from Firefox status bar
• IE Tab – You may never intentionally launch IE again
• Mouse Gestures – Navigate by dragging your mouse around the screen.
• NewTabURL – Select default URL when new tab is opened
• PDF Download – Gives you options when PDF file is clicked
• Print Page Preview – Adds print preview to Firefox
• Stylish – Uses CSS to change the look of sites you specify
• UI Tweaker – Tweak Firefox to your delight. Want to get rid of Google Search bar?

I’m around technology probably 12-16 hours a day. I spend most of my day in meetings, interviews, planning sessions and meeting with clients. The rest of the time is spent on email and catching up on technology news. It’s easy for me to believe that the world revolves around technology. But it doesn’t.

As I tucked my five year old daughter, Luca, in bed this evening she said, “Dad, will you lay by me and while I read this book?”. Since she just started kindergarten I figured she would just flip through the pages and show me the pictures. But she picked up the book, “Bears in the Night” and read it word for word. I grinned ear to ear.

I kissed her forehead, pulled up the covers just so, and left her room the happiest dad in the world. Kids have a way of simplifying this complex and sometimes confusing life.

From Lifehacker comes this useful tip for finding open mp3 directories. Type the following string into Google replacing Pink Floyd with whatever band or song you’re after.

-inurl:(htm|html|php) intitle:”index of” +”last modified” +”parent directory” +description +size +(wma|mp3) “Pink Floyd”

Newsweek: Microsoft has announced its new iPod competitor, Zune. It says that this device is all about building communities. Are you worried?

Jobs: In a word, no. I’ve seen the demonstrations on the Internet about how you can find another person using a Zune and give them a song they can play three times. It takes forever. By the time you’ve gone through all that, the girl’s got up and left! You’re much better off to take one of your earbuds out and put it in her ear. Then you’re connected with about two feet of headphone cable.

Link to full interview
Link to Newsweek article on the “Power of iPod”
Link to MSNBC article: iPod vs. Zune: The 5 year war begins

Have you noticed some of the strange concoctions that have found a home on the menu of Taco Time and Taco Bell? Seems like each time I go there for a new shredded beef taco salad (not available at all Taco Time restaurants) I see some strange new item I’ve never heard of nor can I pronounce.

The “Pizza Crepe Taco Pancake Chili Bag” from this SNL skit can’t be far away.
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I got my hands on a Zune yesterday thanks to some friends at Microsoft who showed me the device and how it worked with audio and video content. The first thing I noticed about the Zune was its gorgeous screen. It’s considerably larger than the screen on my iPod video, especially in landscape mode. I suspect that at $249 it will really take a bite out of the current portable video player market served by iRiver, Creative and Archos. Another thing I noticed was how much Microsoft has tried to make iPod owners feel at home with the smooth and curvy edges. In the hand, it feels like an iPod video but thicker and a bit longer. The navigation “wheel” works well but isn’t as intuitive as the iPod. It was easier to select a single song or video within a small list, but wasn’t as quick moving down a larger list of the same. The iPod is great in getting into the neighborhood of the song I want from within a long list but selecting the exact song still takes a bit of thumb finesse that I can’t seem to pull off consistently.

Will the Zune steal market share from Apple’s iPod? I don’t think it will. The wireless sharing of songs sounds like a cool feature but will only work if your friends also own one. All my friends (with the exception of one who owns the ghetto iRiver) have iPods. I guess for the kid who wants to be different maybe the Zune will fill the bill. But I don’t see it making much of a splash because it doesn’t do anything a lot more compelling than what the iPod can do and it’s not as easy to use. But I have to admit that I was quite impressed with the device. For a first gen product it feels quite polished and Microsoft is smart to price it competitively. Maybe it will appeal to the Microsoft fanboys or those who are sick and tired of the ubiquitous iPod.
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As news of Tower Records bankruptcy spread, music fans lamented the demise of one of the few large music stores. Yet after reading this article on MSNBC it’s not difficult to see why Tower and other music stores can’t make it in the age of digital music. Tower’s “going out of business” sale means current CDs were marked down 10% from $18.99 to $17.09 yet that same album was available for $9.99 on iTunes or about a buck and half on AllofMp3. Add the growing selection of CDs available to Costco, Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Target that usually cost $5 to $7 less per CD and it’s not hard to see why the old music store has become a relic we’ll tell our kids about. And personally, I’d be pretty bummed out if I drove across town to visit any “going out of business” store and the items were marked down a measly 10%. Big fricking deal.

Whenever I’d visit San Francisco or New York I’d seek out the huge Tower or Virgin Records and browse their selection and explore new kinds of music at the listening stations. I’ll certainly miss being able to do that if all the record stores disappear.

Yes, it’s good to be the kings.

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I spent $100 on a set of Bose Companion 2 Series II Multimedia speakers about three months ago. They worked well on Kim’s computer and gave us no problems until the last few days when they would turn on and off. Since the speakers were so new I figured the problem must be with the older Creative brand soundcard. I tested the speakers on my system and had the same problems. I could wiggle the powercord and the sound would come back but not for long.

I’d normally buy anything to do with computers at Fry’s or NewEgg but neither had this model of speaker in stock so I bought them online from a company I don’t recall.

I have a set of Logitech Z-2300 that just rock. Lesson learned. I’m done with Bose and will probably go with Creative for Logitech when I replace these crappy Bose.

Michael Robertson has written an interesting article about DRM’d music and Microsoft’s upcoming Zune mp3 player. Thank goodness for Allofmp3.com. The only DRM’d audio I buy is an audiobook here and there from iTunes. I won’t purchase DRM’d music.
“Microsoft made a corporate decision to abandon their previous technology called “Plays for Sure” and turn it into “Screwed for Sure”. Anyone who purchased music from Rhapsody, Napster, Buy.com, Wal-mart, BuyMusic, etc. will discover that music is unplayable. (Of course iTunes music won’t play either because Apple doesn’t play nicely with others.) You’ll be required to re-purchase that music or go without”

Link to full article