Except they made it worse.

My biggest complaint is that they now offer only a few output options–not customizable.  So if you happen to need one of the exact width, height, bitrate, and audio quality combinations they’ve preset for you, you’re good to go!  But you won’t.  To try to fix this, you can attempt to edit one of the .prx files buried in Program Files.  But it still won’t work right.

Then, if you do change it in a fashion you think should export the settings you actually want, Movie Maker will override it with some preset aspect ratio settings you didn’t know about, conveniently adding black bars on all four sides if necessary and reducing your video to be nearly indiscernible.

Not to mention random UI issues, like a lack of a usable timeline, and by clicking in many places it will jump back to the beginning of the video…completely losing the spot you wanted to edit.  Too bad.

I like Microsoft and Windows 7, but Windows Live Movie Maker sucks.

Unfortunately, most of what I saw were trees.  I-80 is kind of boring, and I had a lot of fog to contend with the first day.  But the sunset I saw when I was getting into Colorado the second day was amazing.

[View with PicLens]

12►

Dunder and Blixem were never part of the poem I learned; they were chosen because they translate to Thunder and Lightning in Dutch. However, the poem was later adopted to use the German usages, Donner and Blitzen.

More Info at Wikipedia

Got another suggestion? Comment!

(All images lovingly sourced from Wikimedia Commons.)

]]> http://liquidnitrogen.us/wordpress/2009/09/02/most-impossible-places-to-live-on-the-planet/feed/ 0 http://liquidnitrogen.us/wordpress/2009/08/14/advances-in-science/ http://liquidnitrogen.us/wordpress/2009/08/14/advances-in-science/#comments Fri, 14 Aug 2009 19:22:40 +0000 nitrogen http://liquidnitrogen.us/wordpress/?p=526 I thought I would take a few minutes to talk about some of the recent scientific/medical advances I’ve heard about lately and thought were cool. I hope these come to fruition.

MGAT2: The Fat Gene?

I read a story today about a scientists discovering a gene, MGAT2, that controls how mice process fat. Flipping this switch causes mice fed a high-fat diet to weigh 40% less and have 50% less fat than the “normal mice.” I would have liked a bit more detail on their experiments, such as if their normal mice were a real control group, and what the duration of the experiment was.

But if scientists are able to apply this to humans, it could help to adapt our bodies to more foods. Personally, I’m all for scientific advancement, but I also think we should eat responsibly. I just don’t want to see this become an excuse for people to gorge on Big Macs three times a day.

Link @ DiscoverMagazine.com

Eliminating tooth decay

This is one I remembered reading about years ago, but I haven’t heard of any further advancements, which disappoints me. Our mouths contain a host of bacteria, among which is Streptococcus mutans. This is a bacteria that feeds on sugars, excreting lactic acid, and is a primary cause of tooth decay. But by genetically engineering a strain of Streptococcus mutans that doesn’t secrete lactic acid, they were able to stop tooth decay in the test rats, even when fed a high sugar diet.

Link @ TheFreeLibrary.com

HIV blocked by Delta 32 mutation could lead to cure

There is a particular genetic mutation called Delta 32 (inherited from both parents) which blocks the CCR5 receptor on cells. This receptor is what enables HIV to enter and infect cells. By blocking the receptor, the subject becomes functionally immune to HIV and AIDS.

This has been demonstrated in humans already in Berlin. In an astoundingly unfortunate double-whammy, a man contracted both HIV and Leukemia. The man needed a bone marrow transplant, and in doing so, they deliberately chose a donor with the Delta 32 mutation. The effect of this was that the patient gained this resistance to HIV, and subsequent testing showed no signs of the virus.

Link @ BaldwinCountyNow.com

Bacteriophages

Bacteriophages are a set of viruses whose targets are not humans, but bacteria. Therefore they pose little threat to us. The FDA does not, however, recognize them as legitimate ways of treating bacterial infections, though testing overseas has shown great promise. One particular example given in the Popular Science article (linked below) is combating flesh-eating bacteria, which is usually treatable only by cutting out the infected area and performing skin grafts to close the now even larger wound. Or by amputation.

In particular, the former Soviet republic of Georgia has made some of the most important advances in phage therapy. They’ve engineered thousands of strains that are adept at killing particular target bacteria. Using a sample of the infection from the patient, they can mix a cocktail addressing all of the bacteria in the infection, which is then dribbled over the wound painlessly. In a few days, healing begins. In a few weeks, a wound that would have otherwise required surgery and skin grafts, or even amputation, is healed.

The FDA needs to come to their senses and realize that for new scientific advances, we cannot simply deny the potential benefits because the treatment doesn’t follow the arbitrary rules we’ve set for testing. We need to be flexible, and adjust the rules so that these treatments at least have a chance to be tested and prove themselves.

Link @ PopSci.com or PDF Mirror @ Bogrees.com

Thomas Edison verbally offered Tesla $50,000 (a huge amount at the time) to improve his Direct Current efficiency. When Tesla actually did it, Edison refused to pay up, claiming he had been joking around. Tesla responded by quitting and inventing Alternating Current, which was much more efficient for long distances. Edison’s technology was inferior, so he responded by launching a slander campaign against Tesla’s Alternating Current by publicly electrocuting stray dogs, horses, and eventually people by inventing the electric chair to give AC a bad reputation.

Tesla worked with George Westinghouse to build an AC infrastructure, making so much money in royalties that it threatened to bankrupt Westinghouse’s company. Tesla responded by tearing up his contract, accepting a tiny fraction of the wealth he would be entitled to otherwise.

Other Tesla Awesomeness:

• Developed and used fluorescent and neon lights 40 years before industry “invented” them.
• Designed the first hydroelectric power plant, at Niagara Falls.
• Invented the speedometer.
• Invented the Tesla coil and with it a potential means for distributing free, wireless power. J. P. Morgan initially funded this research, but backed out when they found out it was meant to be distributed for free.
• Experimented extensively with resonance frequency, some say to the effect that he could generate earthquakes.
• Demonstrated the principles behind radio a decade before Marconi “invented” it. Marconi’s patents were later invalidated as a result, but he still receives credit a lot of the time.
• Proposed the concept of radar to Thomas Edison and the military and was laughed at. 25 years later, radar was finally invented.

Source and more: http://www.electroherbalism.com/Bioelectronics/Tesla/TeslaversusEdison.htm

Macs are less prone to these issues (so far) simply because they represent a much smaller target to malware authors. For those who are trying to create a botnet or otherwise generate revenue from these nefarious activities, a target with 88% market share is much more appealing than one with just under 10% (2). However, I believe there is a critical mass in the 10-15% range that will lead to a significant increase in attacks against this platform.

For many years now, Microsoft has been hardening Windows against these attacks and responding with patches and other security measures. Apple has been much more lax, patching the occasional vulnerability, but not as promptly or thoroughly as Microsoft. But the fact of the matter is when the fecal matter hits the air-moving device, Apple is going to be wholly unprepared.

Apple’s security stance is antiquated and dangerous in this era. The only reason they haven’t been plagued with vulnerabilities yet is because they’re still a relatively small target. But we’ve begun to see the first signs. In the PWN2PWN 2009 competition, Apple’s Safari browser fell victim to Charlie Miller’s hacks in seconds (3). To be fair, Internet Explorer 8 (Beta) and Firefox also were compromised later that day. There has also recently been a trojan lurking in pirated copies of iWork ’09 (4).

The greater the popularity they gain, the higher the risk becomes. I have to wonder what will happen to this house of cards once the wind picks up.

References:

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHFy6egYcUg
2. http://marketshare.hitslink.com/report.aspx?qprid=8
3. http://dvlabs.tippingpoint.com/blog/2009/03/18/pwn2own-2009-day-1—safari-internet-explorer-and-firefox-taken-down-by-four-zero-day-exploits
4. http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9126609

Unrelated Thoughts:

Apple Geniuses are anything but. One of my friends recently related a story of her iPhone where the screen would periodically turn off while she was trying to use it. She found that AT&T stores wouldn’t service it; she had to go to an Apple store. Then Apple told her she had to schedule an appointment to even get it looked at. Which she did. Then they gave her canned instructions on resetting the phone, apparently without even trying to diagnose the problem itself. And if that didn’t work, to come back. She tried that, and of course it didn’t work. And she was furthermore told that she would have to make another appointment to receive further tech support, at which point she decided it wasn’t worth pursuing. She related all of this to me while we were having dinner with some friends. My friend Jeff (who is a longtime PC user but has an iPhone) and I (never owned an Apple product) solved her problem in minutes while eating dinner. Apple support gets an F for that one.

For a brief time, Apple’s own web site suggested its customers install anti-virus software. (http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10110852-83.html)

1974 Yamaha RD250 - 247cc 2-stroke twin. 30hp, 330lb, 50mpg, 95mph (according to http://www.yamaha-rd.com/rd/data.html). This one’s special because my dad bought it new for my grandpa in 1974. It was parked and stored when Grandpa got sick, and spent about 25 years virtually untouched. So, 18 years after Grandpa passed away, I found his bike in the shed and had been wanting a relatively modest road bike for a while. I talked to Dad and he said we could get it out and see if it would run.

After a good washing, I discovered it still had nice paint underneath the dust. And after a lot of work with an SOS pad, the chrome started looking a lot better, too. Dad spent some time cleaning up the fuel and electrical systems so that it would fire up. And it did; it actually runs great! We had some fuel delivery problems due to rust in the gas tank clogging the fuel filters, but I think we’ve got that cleared up now as well. I need to wash/wax and clean up the chrome again soon. It’s a fun diversion in the summer.

2008 Mini Cooper S - I’ve been a fan of the new Coopers and the old Coopers for some time now. I’ve known that this was the car I wanted and just been waiting until I could afford it and justify getting it. It’s a solid little car, and gets more-than-acceptable mileage. The ride can be stiff–this is expected–but if you throw it around a curve and hit the gas, the amount of grip is ridiculous. I took a freeway on-ramp with some speed–and a passenger–and she nearly ended up on my side of the car. Oops.

• Turbocharged 1.6L, 172bhp, 177lb-ft, 192lb-ft with overboost, 6-speed manual
• British Racing Green with White Top/Mirrors/Stripes
• Grey/Carbon Black Leatherette Interior
• Anthracite Headliner
• Premium Package
  • Dual-Pane Panoramic Sunroof
  • Automatic Air Conditioning
  • Hi-Fi Sound System
• Sport Package
  • Dynamic Stability Control
  • Sport Suspension
  • 17″ Alloy Wheels (Web-Spoke)
• Multi-Function Steering Wheel (for cruise control)
• Limited Slip Differential
• Xenon Headlights

I don’t believe that Vista is a bad operating system. Sure, it has its annoying traits, but it also hasn’t had as much time to mature as XP. It’s an awkward adolescent in the Operating Systems world. XP was always a good operating system, but I don’t think it became a great OS until SP2, almost three years after the initial release. (By the way, if Apple were running the show, each service pack would have been packaged as a new OS release at $140 a pop.)

But, understandably, Microsoft would like to wipe the slate clean. And they’ve taken great care to address the issues that have been relentlessly focused on by their critics for these past couple of years. But enough of that! I’m here to tell you why Windows 7 is going to turn things around, and why it kicks so much ass.

• Libraries. Instead of a Documents folder, you can have a Documents library. It will include any files in your Documents folder, the Public Documents folder, and any other folders you add to the library. This is awesome for me because my Documents folder is on a separate drive. I just add it to the library and it’s fully accessible.
• Superbar. The Windows taskbar has been overhauled, and it looks like they took the icon-only view from OS X’s dock and then improved on it. When XP introduced grouping, I never liked it. I didn’t like having to click twice to switch between windows, and the behavior changed depending on how many windows were open. It’s kind of weird for me to adapt to two clicks for things, but it adds functionality, too. Now, instead of a listing of the open windows for a given application, you get live thumbnails. Mousing over each thumbnail hides all other windows so you can see it full size (a feature called Aero Peek). This means if I just need to glance at what an app says, I don’t even need to switch to it. Just take a peek. One other thing I notice is that, so far, I have a lot of unused space in my task bar. Because of the grouping and lack of labels, the pinned applications don’t even begin to fill the available space. If I pinned everything I ever used, I might not even need the programs menu.
• UAC. One of my biggest annoyances of Vista was User Account Control. I had it disabled for a long time, but eventually relented due to the value of the added security. But Win7 makes a very important correction: It understands implied permission. If you right-click Computer and select Manage in Vista, it will ask you if you’re sure you want to do that. Windows 7 understands that you already said you wanted to do it and to not ask you again. (This is the default UAC level for Administrator-level accounts, anyway.) UAC will still prompt you when an application tries to do something requiring permission, like an installer. It’s much more streamlined and much less irritating. Instead of simply being on or off, there are now four levels of protection for UAC. Default behavior is the second-highest setting and completely acceptable, in my opinion.
• Application Bundle. It bothers me when an OS bundles a lot of extra, redundant software that I don’t need. XP did this with MSN Explorer, Outlook Express and Windows Messenger, for instance. These sort of programs are not included by default in Win7, and for that I want to hug Microsoft. These sort of apps are now part of the Windows Live suite and are easily available for download. I wish it worked that way for the built-in games, as well.
• Drivers. Simple–use the Vista drivers. The core is so similar to Vista SP1 that I’ve had very few issues using Vista drivers in Windows 7.
• Application Support. Almost identical to Vista. The only apps that run in Vista that fail in Win7 are the ones that do an explicit verification of the OS, and throw an error if it’s not Vista. Most prominently, many driver installation programs will do this, but if you use Device Manager to update the driver, it will work. I think there may also be issues so far with utilities such as Virtual CloneDrive, used for mounting CD images.
• Performance & Stability. While I haven’t done benchmarks myself, Windows 7 feels just as fast–or faster–than Vista. Which is a fantastic relief. Most benchmarks I’ve seen agree, and in some cases it’s actually faster than XP. There are some crashes and quirks, but it’s still in beta! For a beta product, I consider it to be amazingly solid, and I’ll be submitting feedback whenever possible to try to improve it before release.
• IE8. IE8 is a sore spot for me so far. It doesn’t affect me very much, since I use Firefox 99.9% of the time, but when I did need to start up IE8, it annoyed me with a series of questions to answer with no good explanation. Do I want to use Accelerators? I don’t even know what they are, but I’ve never needed them before. Oh, I should set my default search engine? How about, um, Google? I think I could install Opera with less fuss than it is to launch IE8 for the first time. This needs to be addressed.
• Backup. They fixed my gripe about the Vista version! The way I have my computer structured, I don’t care about backing up the OS Core. I can reinstall that easily. But I wanted the ability to back up specific folders, and they’ve introduced this functionality in Windows 7′s version of the Backup utility.
• Bugs. Hey, it’s a beta. I’d be worried if there weren’t some weird quirks to deal with. Currently, I’ve noticed that my NIC loses the gateway setting frequently when I reboot. Ipconfig actually reports that the gateway is set to both 0.0.0.0 and 192.168.1.1. Disabling and re-enabling the connection fixes it. I’ll be reporting it next time it happens. I’ve also found that the Add A Printer wizard doesn’t include that many drivers. But there’s a Windows Update button to search for more. Problem is, it takes forever to search–it doesn’t simply query Windows Update for the best driver available for the device you specified; it gets an exhaustive list and apparently that takes a while. And there’s no progress meter or indication that it’s working. 10-15 minutes later, I got the list I needed with the printer I needed and it worked perfectly.

For the past few weeks, I’ve been running Win7 as my primary OS, both with the PDC Pre-beta build (6956) and the Beta 1 build (7000). I’m extremely happy with it and am quickly adapting to the few things that require me to re-learn how to use it, like the Superbar.

Still unknown: Versions. I hope they don’t have a dozen different variations of Windows 7, with convoluted upgrade paths, as they’ve done in the past. Hell, I don’t even think they should release it in a 32-bit flavor. Anything that should be running it should be capable of 64-bit, and this would simplify the build process and driver support while offering better security and memory support. Vista was burdened by over-versioning, and to some degree, XP. I think they should either release just one version (Ultimate equivalent), or three versions (Ultimate, Home Premium, and Enterprise equivalents).

Overall, I believe Windows 7 is well-poised to redeem Windows in the public eye. Microsoft is also finally fighting back with the “I’m A PC” commercials, so the public will see that there are two sides to this battle. And the battle has only just begun.