Zune Update 2.5!

Ahhhh...finally, I'm in love with my Zune. It's taken a long time and I've struggled, oh how I've struggled. In a year and a half, I can't tell you how many times I've fought my Zune to get content on it. Music, videos...(pictures were always easy...). My library has been erased and rebuilt numerous times...all just to listen to music on my Zune. Forget podcasts or vidcasts...those were so much of a pain, I just abandoned the notion.

Now with the 2.5 release of the Zune software, they've added back in some of my favorite tools:

• Autoplaylists
  Finally! What took so long? I love to have a new music playlist that syncs just my newest music to my Zune. I'd given up hope I was ever going to see this again! Yippee!
• Genres are back!
  My beloved genres. I spent so many hours tagging music in my library to play only my 70s, 80s, 90s, etc. music I almost cried when Zune didn't offer support for genres. Wahhh! But my crying days are over and my eyes are dry, genres are back and even, dare I say it, welcome in Zune!

Podcasts and vidcasts were added in one of the last releases and are getting a workout on my two Zunes (4 GB and 30GB), the 80GB is currently in Sawyer's room providing her needed country & western fix. (Don't ask me why she likes it, but she does....Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash...they're her favorites!)

Want to see what I'm listening to? Check out http://social.zune.net/member/monkshac its all right there...oh, yeah, BTW, I could use a friend. Do you wanna be my Zune friend? Please?

Minivan Tech?

Okay, I know it's probably hard to imagine any tech in a family truckster....which is really what the minivan is, but I'm pleasantly surprised! We just purchased a used 2004 Chrysler Town & Country Limited and I am somewhat impressed by the features and functionality it came with!

First off, there's the navigation system. Chrysler uses a smallish 4.5 inch display which really limits how much information can be displayed. Its definitely not as good as the navigation system in our 2004 Honda Accord, even though the map data is provide by Navteq for both. The Chrysler also doesn't offer a touch screen, which is simply just a pain in the patukas. That measn you have to use a jog-wheel to select your destination, move the map, etc on the RB1. Stupid, but since its changed with the addition of MyGig to Chrsysler vehicles, I'm not going to waste any more time on it.

The next cool feature that Mopar offers is an iPod adapter for almost all of their radios...mine just arrived yesterday, and with any luck, will be installed later today. I pried the minivan keys from Debra just to have some time to install it.

Oh, here's the before pics from our minivan purchase....I'll post an update once the iPod is installed, up and running!

Dell Inspiron 531 Windows XP Driver Pack

Looking to install Windows XP on your Dell Inspiron 531 series desktop but frustrated with the complete lack of XP drivers from Dell? This website has a complete driver pack that will allow you to get off Vista and back on Windows XP in less than 10 minutes!

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Vista Couldn't Make Me Upgrade, But Second Life Did

Yeah, I know, it sounds crazy. I've experimented with Vista (on Debra's new laptop, certainly none of my own computers), and after unsuccessfully trying to get SecondLife to run on it, I reverted back to Windows XP (thank you Dell for providing all of the drivers!). Debra was rather insistant about being able to access her SL account, despite the fact she liked the overall look and feel of Vista.

During my explorations, I found that most of my other systems were unable to take advantage of the new features in Vista (most specifically, the Aero interface). In addition, much of the software I used and have come to live by, simply wouldn't run on Vista as the companies haven't release Vista-compatible updates. So, I decided that updating to Vista just wasn't in the cards...yet.

Well, apparently, I hadn't counted on Debra's addiction to SecondLife. It dragged me right along with her. I tried not to succumb, but it is a fun diversion from the rigors of FL (First Life). And it fits well into the baby's downtime. When I tried to install it on my desktop, I found my graphics cards (yes, I do have two...two Radeon 9250s) weren't supported. That coupled with the fact that my desktop has been experiencing unannounced crashes that I haven't yet been able to resolve (a full rebuild of the system is long overdue), I decided it was time to upgrade. So within the next week or two, I should be able to actually run SecondLife...once I get the upgrades installed and the system rebuilt to my admittedly rigorous standards.