wifi radios/mp3 players i have known and loved.

Bought the sansa connect 4gb in february and I've been liking the embedded wifi abilities. You are limited to the yahoo radio stations. The upside to that is they are surprisingly good. The next generation better cut that type of closed network shit out right now! the device doubles as hand held ssid browser, also showing the security status of each network. The WORST THING about this is the once again awful choice of going with yahoo music exclusively. filling up the base 4gb (2gb micro sd card slot inlcluded) requires you to put on an obnoxious media player akin to rhapsody's full version. I find that installing just the sansa restore utility alone lets you add files in a windows explorer environment which i prefer yes i detest itunes as well. my tiny mp3 player of choice is now foobar.

this ccrane radio with wifi also looks improves on my most favorite little tivoli radio by adding an unlocked wifi radio station browser with shitttttonnes of stations

"During our tests, we were able to easily tune in over 2,000 popular US radio stations. Just for fun, we tuned in some English stations from Norway, Germany, Argentina and more. As if that were not enough, the AE Wi-Fi Radio can even tune in to MP3, Real Media, and other WMA compatible audio files saved on your computer's hard drive — and it's all wireless!"

sometimes i wonder if i need to have 30,000 radio station options while showering or going to the loo... but then it might be fun.

developing story

http://www.creditunionruse.com/
http://www.taxfoundation.org/press/show/216.html
http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/217.html

I have been wanting to leave key bank for years now and never cut the cord. Suffice to say I have gotten somewhere in the neghborhood of 50 overdrafts in the course of 5 years. Its my fault. I suck. BUT key bank sucks for not giving me overdraft protection. So there.

My master plan included getting a nice mom and pop credit union like my sister has. They would only hit me up for one overdraft when something like this comes along
BALANCE = -1
sandwhich 6$ at subway/ticket to movies 11$ at loews theatre/29.99 for cable bill from comcast
BALANCE = -47.99

if I was under 0 when these things cleared I would be in the hole 3x 33.00 + 47 = 146.00 for a very short 50$ loan.

MIT swapfest

Stopped into this just before the last 3 people closed up their tables. What a great little collection of humanity this swapfest is. Cheap CHEAP CHEEEEEEEAP cables to be had here. If you ever need 100 feet of rca cable for 5-10$ this is the place to get it.

I will definitely be attending the next swapfest.

highlights:
a table brought by an ex printer engineer cum swapfest hocker. He had hundreds of motors and position sensing optical doohickeys. He had a lineup of motors all plugged in and spinning different test pattern papers on the tips of the motors. The market for this type of a person is so niche its scary.

read here from sukimons experience at a swapfest in 2006 which obviously had a bit more flavor to delight in.


http://www.sukimon.com/2006/09/yardsale-for-geeks-the-mit-swapfest/


-------------------------------------
This coming Sunday...

*** In our Traditional GARAGE and adjacent lot !!!! *****
so rain or shine or super heat the SWAP is ON !!!!

COMPUTERS - ELECTRONICS - HAM RADIO - COMPUTERS - ELECTRONICS

SWAPFEST all SUMMER at MIT
September 16th 2007
9AM-2PM

Come to the Albany St garage for a great SWAP - plenty of free parking.

BUY SELL or SWAP almost anything Electronic

MIT's electronics and ham radio SWAPFEST will take
place on the third Sunday of each month this summer,
April thru October.

There is tailgate space for over 600 sellers and
free, off-street parking for >2000 cars!

Buyers admission is $5 (you get $1 off if
you have a Harvard or MIT ID) and sellers
spaces are $20 for the first and $15 for
each additional at the gate.

The swap will be held at the corner of Albany and
Main streets in Cambridge; right in the Kendall
Square area from 9AM to 2PM, with sellers set-up
time starting at 7AM.

*** Attention Sellers ***
Prepaid vendors.. Season Pass or monthly,
will be admitted FIRST.
Separate lines will form prior to gate opening
for prepaid and nonprepaid vendors

See http://www.swapfest.us for selling info.

!! RAIN or SHINE !! Have no fear of rain, a covered
well illuminated tailgate area is available for all
sellers (6'8" clearance).

Talk-in: 145.23- (PL 88.5) W1BOS/R and
W1XM/R-449.725/444.725 (PL 114.8/2A).

Sponsors: MIT Electronics Research Society
MIT UHF Repeater Association (W1XM)
MIT Radio Society (W1MX)
Harvard Wireless Club (W1AF)

For more info / advanced reservations 617 253 3776

********** $1 buyers discount with hard copy of this notice ************

*******************************************************************************
Steve Finberg W1GSL w1...@mit.edu
PO Box 82 MIT Br Cambridge MA 02139-7082 617 258 3754
*******************************************************************************

weird folders appearing in my external drive

two of the folders have i386 folders in the first level

the folder marked beae3801848e7b5288c4d1055f2eda contains a exe called mrtstub which apparently has something to do with the microsoft malicious software removal tool OR is spyware. Not sure which is which yet. If anyone knows the deal please comment!

went running on the charles today with Martin and Cleo. so sticky...

also interviewed at micro center in cambridge. wish me luck!