Tech Notes

A few technical notes from behind the scenes at CapQ …
Yesterday, I gave the First Mate an unusual gift: a digital voice recorder. I have used the Sony ICD-P520 for recording interviews both in person and over the telephone, and it has proven handy and reliable. It has 256 MB of flash memory, and most importantly, allows for easy transfer to my computer. It also allows me to load MP3 files onto the device, which it converts to its native (and better compressed) format.
So why does this make a great gift for the FM? Being blind, she has to rely on recorded books for her reading. Normally this means tapes, but publishers have begun switching to CDs. CD players create headaches for blind users, as they rely on electronic displays and small buttons for operation. Also, unlike tapes, when the device gets turned off, the reader loses her place and has to restart the disk. The Sony ICD-P520 has an easier interface for the FM, and she can easily find her place after halting. All I do is rip the CDs and load the device — which takes a not insubstantial amount of time, but it does mean she can access the books repeatedly on her own terms. …
I received a gift from Vayapaso (Mom) of a new webcam, the Logitech QuickCam Orbit AF I’ve been using my Sony camcorder to do my webcam applications, but this looks much more suited to the task. It has a solid base for better stability, and computer-controlled pan-and-tilt operation. I’ll be using it today on my Heading Right Radio show, which you can see if you get into the webchat ….
Speaking of which, I’ll be using a dual-monitor set-up today. I put both of my older 19″ monitors to use with a new video display card I picked up last weekend. When I got the new desktop, I lost the ability to add the monitor to the laptop when I used it as my main system. It’s been working pretty well with Vista, which has also improved ever since I shut off every last bit of animation. It looks more like Win98, but at least it also responds as well as Win98.