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Recording Lite for the iPad – get great audio on the go

Posted on November 14, 2012 by admin

I was in a pinch and needed to record some simple conversation this week. I had my iPad with me, and remembered downloading an app that I hadn’t tried before, Recording Lite. Recording directly to AAC, this app can record for hours without taking up much space at all. Thanks to the high quality microphone on the iPad, I had some crisp clear recordings, even of people across the room. Built in is the ability to upload the files to iCloud, or even swipe to the third and final screen, which loads up a small web-server app allowing you to navigate to the IP address of the iPad in a web browser, and download any recordings straight through a web browser.

There’s one more superb feature found within Recording Lite and that is the ability to convert any recording from an AAC to a WAV file. By default, audio records as a Mono track, 44.1Khz. I made a few recordings this week, on the iPad, that I wanted to convert to smaller sound-bites. I converted the AAC files to WAVs, downloaded them from the built in “HTTP” server, then opened the WAV files in Audacity on my computer. Before I knew it, I was slicing the sound files up without a hitch. I’m so thrilled with this app, I might upgrade to the pro version if I have another case where I might use it. I record audio very infrequently, but am I thankful for a full-featured app like this – the Pro version, available for $1.99, removes a banner ad, and I believe adds the feature to password protect your sound files, so people don’t just open the app and listen. Just as many times before, I can’t believe something so great is out there for free!

Why does my IT guy always tell me to reboot?

Posted on November 13, 2012 by admin

Because it works. I wish I could say that more often. But the reality is, it lets us start with a clean slate. Your computer has a lot going on, even when you are only running one or two programs. When a Windows XP computer boots up, around 100 programs and services load with it, and that is on a new PC without a lot installed on it!

1989 – The Super Mario Brothers Super Show

Posted on November 12, 2012 by admin

“Hey, Pisano’s, it’s the Super Mario Bros. Super Show!” I can’t begin to tell you the number of times I must’ve shouted those words along with Captain Lou Albano in my living room growing up. Adventures of Nintendo’s famous Mario and Luigi, in cartoon form, swept me away to the Mushroom Kingdom and I never wanted to come back. But the show made us come back to reality, by beginning and ending every episode with live action featuring actors that your parents knew, and a lot of celebrity cameos.

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show would take you through the various environments of the first two games, and featured music and sound effects from the games themselves. It was handled with the care that few other shows based on games would ever get. While others tried hard to change the lore of the games to fit television, the Super Show did its part to keep you immersed in Miyamoto’s world. I loved this show growing up, the live action segments taking place in their basement-apartment in Brooklyn New York, were some of my favorite moments in childhood history. Imagine being an 8 year old in the early 1990’s, when suddenly the wreslter Sergeant Slaughter shows up to talk to the Mario brothers. Wrestling, Video games, and even a little GI Joe, all rolled in to one mind-blowing moment.

After the first two seasons, consisting of 24 episodes each, were the episodes that stand out the mnost in my memories. When I bought many of the boxed-sets on DVD, certain dreams were dashed. Beginning with Super Mario Brothers 3, I was excited to see the new special items and power ups featured in the show, but dropping the live actors hurt the show big time. To fill the remaining time, nearly every episode had a rediculous chase scene coupled with a song that would repeat so many times I literally couldn’t even finish watching the DVDs. I can only imagine what I put my parents through. I didn’t even bother to buy the later Super Mario World episodes – although I distinctly remember watching those shows as well, introducing Yoshi and continuing the saga of the Koopa Kids.

Although it appears as though the DVDs are going to increase in rarity, the show is finally available digitally and can be streamed on Netflix and Amazon’s Instant Video. Enjoy them!

How to convert your offline Gamertag to an Xbox Live account and keep your Achievements and Gamerscore

Posted on November 11, 2012 by admin

You bought your Xbox 360, and couldn’t wait to play – now you’ve already gained some Gamerscore, but your account is an “offline account” and not an Xbox Live Account! You don’t want to sign up for a new account, because you’ll lose your Gamerscore and Achievements! Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Continue reading “How to convert your offline Gamertag to an Xbox Live account and keep your Achievements and Gamerscore”