Corey Gouker's Machine Inside the Mind

Not having read the books, partly because I can't remember where I placed the eBook versions... I'd give the film an 8.8/10. Could've used more Zooey really. Quite liked Bill Nighy's character. At any rate go see the film it's worth watching. At the same time, I suggest you look for a couple snogging in front of you during the previews. This specific couple was most entertaining, they honestly could've booked a private room and private viewing or something, they most definitely could've used a pause button. Half-way through the previews before the film starts they're just going at it. So much so you can hear them over the trailers. So what do you know the music kicks in for Episode III and they both just stop and turn and watch the trailer. Dom, Mike, and I just most definitely all started laughing our asses off internally at this point. I point it out to Mike who I'm sure already noticed anyway. The trailer ends, then no more than 10 seconds later the guy is brushing his face against hers and they start going at it again. Just as the movie is starting they get up, walk passed everyone in the packed aisle, then as soon as they hit the stairs they make a mad dash to the nearest dark corner for what I'm sure was probably a most entertaining movie, well for them at least. Sigh, I just don't understand why anyone would pay $18 to see a film then walk out after 3 minutes.

Oh and I almost forgot. There's one scene with Marvin all alone on the ice and there's the nice scene in the background, I'd kill to have a flawless screenshot of that at 1920x1200. That would make one hell of a background.

I finally put up the 3rd Dell 2405FPW and decided now was a good time to take a photo of the set up. I've uploaded it to Sean's Media Center Flickr Pool as I said I would. I decided I didn't really like Flickr, even though the notes weren't bad, but I think I could probably do the same with some DHTML and what not.

So yeah, it's a massive set up, and it's on a massive desk, and there's a massive load of wires. Plus it's all in my two bed room apartment's living room. It's only there now because Andy will be taking the extra room for a bit while he's here on his internship. Plus side is that I'm right in the sweet spot for the 5.1 set up. Cable management will probably start once I manage to get some extra time, probably on Sunday sadly. Meanwhile I think it's time for bed... The wonderful fire alarm last night totally messed up my sleeping pattern.

Basically the process is the same but I used a well known tool call BeSweet which also suggests BeSweet GUI. It takes the AC3 stream and in one process converts it into the 6 mono channel WAV's which I can then process using Adobe Audition 1.5. Sadly I've not been able to get the DTS decoding to work using BeSweet though I should be able to. It's much quicker than using Graph Edit since that produces a WAV file that does actually have 6 channels but you have to use the WAV2WAV6 to split the channels out into mono WAV's. And like I said previously it mixes up the right and center channel which can be confusing at times.

Since I posted a DTS sample, here's a nice AC3 sample.

Eric Clapton - Layla
Windows Media Audio 9.1 Professional
VBR Quality 75, 48 kHz, 5.1 channel 24 bit 1-pass VBR, 14.0MB

I'm not quite sure what provoked the desire to start converting random DTS and DVD audio CD's to WMA Pro 5.1. I'm not even sure why anyone would really want to anyway. I mean it would be just as easy to copy the entire disc 1:1 than it would be to actually convert. I suppose there was a cool and wow factor involved. It probably started from the time I first found out about Pink Floyd - Money being released in WMA Pro 5.1. Sadly it was only for a very limited time, during which I was in England on dial-up and never noticed. I did finally get to hear it and plenty other 5.1 WMA tracks since coming to Redmond though and I'm just in love.

I try not to get into the entire stereo vs. 5.1, analog vs. digital, DD vs. DTS, and MP3 vs. WMA arguments. I just enjoy the music.

I've got a couple DTS and DVD audio CD's which really do sound fantastic but sadly any time I want to listen to them I've got to pop the disc in and that means getting up and finding it. Plus in this form it's not indexed, it's not in WMP or MCE, and it'll never get listened to regularly. To solve this I used a couple tools to backup and convert the 5.1 content to WMA 5.1.

I found one guide on the net along with some of the tools to do the process here. Granted some of it may be a bit shady but I just had to try and see if I could get a good quality 5.1 WMA out of it. The guide while extensive, missed the bits about converting from the 6 discrete mono WAV (channels) to a single WMA. To do this I used Adobe Audition 1.5 which has a great Multichannel Encoder (CTRL+E), you just add the 6 tracks to a multi-track session, pop up the encoder, set the channels correctly then encode. Sadly one tool which just refused to work for me during the night was the Windows Media Encoder, I've totally lost all faith in it.

Besides Audition a copy of InterVideo WinDVD 6 Platinum is also required. Along with DTSParser (questionable usage), Graph Edit (Microsoft no less...), WAV2WAV6, and DTS2WAV. Not to mention the two filters DTSSource.ax and WAVDest.ax. Putting everything together and after much frustration you should get something like...

The Eagles - Hotel California
Windows Media Audio 9.1 Professional
VBR Quality 75, 48 kHz, 5.1 channel 24 bit 1-pass VBR, 17.8MB

If you have a proper 5.1 set up hooked up to your computer and you've set the speaker settings to 5.1 by going to Control Panel then Sounds and Audio Devices then Advanced under Speaker settings, you should get the full surround sound experience. Otherwise WMP10 will auto down mix it to stereo... Then, well, I feel your pain. Regardless the quality is still there to enjoy.

Sean and I were discussing what's behind this over lunch a little while back. Today he sent me the URL to the site. At first it didn't register. Clicked. Wow. They've done it. I'm really excited about this one. Simply because of what it could mean for us a little while from now if all goes well and the ideas work.

Without going into any detail, I'll just provide a hint. IDSA. Check it out, it'll give you some ideas. Just keep an open mind.

It's really nice to see some thinking going into doing something inspiring and sexy coming from the Microsoft corner. I just wish the video was in WMV HD for that extra hot factor. This is a perfect example of what the WMP10 WMV HD showcase videos and all future videos from MS should be like when it comes to marketing. The music is just awesome as well. I almost wish I had an entire full length album of it. Then again that might be pushing the geek factor too far.

I just bought the gorgeous Dell Latitude X1, which in reality is a Samsung Q30, which at any rate is a very small, very light, and needless to say, very sexy laptop. I luckily didn't pay the extremely unsexy retail price for it. So to keep the new laptop safe I also purchased this 12" laptop sleeve from Crumpler, who I've purchased from before for my main camera bag. It's an amazingly good quality bag and I'd recommend any of Crumpler's products to anyone. They're just that sturdy.

The case came today, and even though the internal dimensions of the case didn't exactly match the external dimensions of the X1 I was hoping that it would at least hold it securely enough to protect it from sliding and scratches. But no. The X1 is just too small. It's smaller than Apple's smallest laptop, the 12" PowerBook.

2.53 lbs., 0.98" x 11.26" x 7.7" (H x W x D) for the Dell Latitude X1 and note that weight is with the standard battery in. I've confirmed this with a digital scale in the cafeteria here which is used daily to see just how much to charge for my frogurt.
4.60 lbs., 1.18" x 10.90" x 8.6" (H x W x D) for the Apple PowerBook G4 and note here that's with the battery and the optical drive installed.
The optical drive is external on the X1, but the X1 has a 16:10 aspect ratio LCD.

Getting back to the point now... Why in the world does it seem like ALL laptop sleeves, like this very sexy one from Booq which I'd love to buy specifically design for and market themselves for the damned Apple PowerBook and iBook. There's a sleeve from Case Logic but it's only for 15" laptops. Every 12" sleeve I find is made for Apple's. All the wide screen sleeves I find are for Apple's.

It's driving me mad. Do none exist!?

It's doubtful this is the 333rd dream I've had that I've been driven to turn into a reality, but it's appropriate. As I slept last night I had a very weird dream:

I recently came into another Ferris Bueller like moment of luck when the second half of a recent order gets shipped without being charged and ever noticed. This is the type of thing that has happened before of course. Just in the past year, I've won the lottery (along with a number of others) and had not one but two orders messed up in my favor. All for a total of close to $10,000. The only difference this time is that the mistake in my favor turns out to be closer to $25,000.

So after coming into this extra cash what do I do...? What any sensible guy would do of course, paid off a student loan which is a couple grand less. Not being happy with getting nothing for my money I end up deciding that a celebration is in order. I sell my 2004 Honda Accord 2dr with about 8000 miles for a cool $19,000 which goes perfectly well and is sold in the same week I put it on the market. Next thing you know, Dom's driving me to various dealerships for random test drives. One of the best is held for last of course, after driving a WRX, Lexus, Infiniti, Nissan, Mercedes, we come to the BMW dealer. They've got the new generation of M3's. Don't need a test drive, I already know. Leather, sat nav, plenty of horses, nice and small... Dom's eyes roll as I say "I'll take it". He's in total disbelief and horror that I've just bought a $55,000 car without even a test drive. I get a little remark along the lines of "well since I've driven you everywhere for all these test drives you better let me drive it". Oh my dear Dom, I'll do one better.

Not being happy with just getting a new toy, I figure I'll probably only get one chance to do it, and I'll probably only ever be crazy enough to do it once. I sign up for European Delivery of my new car. Knowing I've not got a second person in the immediate vicinity in terms of family that would find this sort of trip interesting, I invite the only person that makes sense.

After so many days of Corey's Law counteracting Dom's Law there's just one thing that can be done.

Time circuits on...
So a couple weeks later the flight is caught. Corey left for the airport 45 minutes before flight time, doesn't wait in line for check in, and doesn't get an anal cavity search by Homeland Security. Dom decided in favor of his Law and left 2 hours and 15 minutes before the scheduled flight time, he got caught in traffic for an extra 25 minutes. After checking in without any issues, other than a long line, Dom removes his laptop, shoes, change, wallet, and empties anything else in his pockets. Of course just as he steps through the line the metal detector goes off and they have him step aside. Being British and all they decide he could be a terrorist and proceed to pat him down. After collecting his things he makes his way to the Starbucks where Corey is already enjoying a nice mocha and just getting his SmartPhone out to send Dom an SMS.

The flight is long but okay since Corey forces Dom to actually use his laptop to play some random game over WiFi during the flight.

Hotel is nice as well. Corey's Law strikes again and they mistakingly give us two full size rooms instead of a room with two beds.

The tour is sweet, the car is sweeter, drives wonderfully. Dom gets behind the wheel and agrees, says that it may be time to sell the RSX. Everything goes well, flight home is fine, car gets delivered without any issues, it's fantastic, yadda yadda. The end.

Currently taking bets as to the likelihood of this dream becoming reality...

Sigh... Next thing it'll cost $4.99 a year to get weather alerts.

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