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Addicted to Digital Media

Sean Alexander blogging about life, the universe, and all things digital media.

Time for a Switch to Windows Home Server in 2009?December 31 2008

Those that read this blog know I'm a fan of my Data Robotics Drobo for storage and backup of all my music/videos/photos/documents etc. But with my wife now toting her own laptop and my older son asking to spend more time in front of the computer, IT support needs in our home are expanding. Spending a few hours rebuilding a laptop just doesn't have the new car smell it used to.

I've been a fan, but not a user of Windows Home Server for a while now, mainly for lack of a Media Center solution. Instead my quad-core desktop runs all the time. The thought of another PC running or having to transfer all of my content from my 2GB Drobo is daunting at best. Michael Gartenberg's opinion of the new HP MediaSmart EX485/487 over at MediaBistro.com has me rethinking this pain.

Points for Windows Home Server

Automated backup on all my Windows PCs
SkyDrive and Cloud s

Updated: Yule Log Visualization for Windows Media Player 11/Vista/XPDecember 23 2008

Last week, I got two emails from readers asking if there was a way to get the old Yule Log Visualization for Windows Media Player running in Vista. Originally released as a part of the Windows Media Bonus Pack for Windows XP, in 2001 I hired Frog Design to re-create the classic Yule Log that so many of us enjoyed during the holidays on TV. The problem is the installer hasn't been updated to support later Windows operating systems. So today I'm happy to unofficially release an updated stand-alone installer that works with Vista including 32 and 64-bit.

Download:

After installing,

HowTo: Music for the Holidays with Zune and PandoraDecember 8 2008

As those who have read my ramblings here know, I'm always looking for the perfect holiday mix. This year, it's been easier thanks to two services I've been playing with: Zune Marketplace and Pandora.

Tip#1: Find Great Holiday Music on Zune

Zune Marketplace serves up a broad range of musical suggestions, but if you click on the "more" option under Genres, you'll find the latest programming for the holidays. Select, "Seasonal" and you'll find some great playlists - Christmas Classics and Holiday Cocktails are two of my favorite playlists.

Don't have Zune? It's a great time to take advantage of the two weeks free offer or you can sample the catalog for ideas on Zune.net.

Tip #2: Serve up Pandora's Holiday Stations

A tip of the hat to the Pandora team for sharing some tips for creating Holiday stations on Pandora! Just start by entering the name of a holiday song you like. To creat

Upload to Facebook and YouTube from Windows Live Photo Gallery (Beta)November 24 2008

I just discovered these gems on Channel 10 - upload plug-ins for Facebook and YouTube coming to Windows Live Photo Gallery. I've often wondered where the rest of the upload wizards are. Now, can we just get one plug-in that handles upload to multiple services at the same time?

Zune Pass: Now with 10 Free MP3s a monthNovember 21 2008

More Zune news trickles out. Customers spoke and Zune listened. The people said

"We want all you can eat music, but let us keep the ones we like."

"Oh and make sure the songs are MP3s"

"P.S. Make sure the music doesn't suck. Make the MP3 library a part of the offer"

So now as a Zune Pass subscriber you can download from millions of tracks, and you can keep 10 songs a month as MP3s in your permanent collection for $14.99/mo. Even if you don't like the subscription model, this is still a pretty sweet deal. I know my Zunes and other devices will be happy during the holidays.