Osirez Tech

Ever tried to play a video and you got an error saying this file type isn't supported?  Or you need to edit video in Vegas or Premier but it wouldn't recognize it?  What about transferring your movies to your iPhone or Android in a way that it can actually read it?  Then you should check out Handbrake. Handbrake is a very powerful tool for doing video conversion.  It's also fast, easy to use, and doesn't contain a bunch of fluff to convince you that it has more features then it needs.  The presets make using this app dead simple.  It will also backup your DVD's or Blu-Rays giving you the option to select the chapters and audio tracks.  There are many more features available that I have no idea how to use but I'm sure is useful to someone a lot smarter then me.

Do you have downloaded YouTube video or videos in MP4 format that you just want the audio from?  This app is an easy to use must have app.  Its called " Convert MP4 to MP3 ".  A simple name for a simple application and it does exactly as the name details. As you can see from the screenshot below, Convert MP4 to MP3 is layed out very simply.  No reason to have to hover over a bunch of buttons or reading instructions trying to figure out how to do the exact task the app says it does.  I highly recommend this app if you download videos online which more then likely are in a MP4 format.  Works great for music videos, video podcasts, or whatever else you can think of. This app is completely free and free of tag along apps that auto install to your computer.  Go download this app at  Convert MP4 to MP3 .

This is a new weekly article where I pick an application that I feel is worth at least checking out.  The first merges the simplicity of Microsoft Paint and power of The Gimp into one handy little app that makes you wonder why Microsoft doesn't package this into Windows themselves.  It goes by the name Paint.Net  and is great for doing any type of pictures that requires graphic manipulation which is something that paint just lacks in.  But if you've ever sat down to Photoshop or Gimp, you'll know those two programs are not easy to pickup or intuitive to the new user. Paint.net has enough features to get the job done. I love this program for its many features that normally you would have to pay for which makes this app even better.  This app comes in at the low great price of free.  Really can't beat that.  It also has a plugin and add-on feature that you should be able to find on their community but I can't comment on that because I really haven'...

Do you got an itch to play some of those games that you so fondly remember as a child knee high to a grasshopper? Emulators is where it's at.  With emulators you can turn your Linux desktop into a Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis, Atari 2600, or almost any other console, DOS environment, or arcade cabinet you can think of.  Below I compiled what I think is worth your time for each of the main system and linked you to the website. I chose each of these emulators based on popularity.  Why popularity?  Because the more popular it is in the open source community, the better your chances of getting updates, fixes, and support.  Also there's a good chance that it will be a packaged version ready to download for the different Ubuntu / Debian desktops out there.  I would recommend that you start with your software center or package manager before googling.  If you can't find it then head over to the PlayDeb website and add it from there.  ...

When Ubuntu 10 came out they trumpeted to the high heavens this new idea called the "me-menu".  It's the  menu that by default is in the top right that contains chat IM, Twitter, Facebook, and Ubuntu One.  In theory this was an excellent idea but for me it never really worked out very well. Me-Menu is where it has my name Michael

The defaults icons that came in Ubuntu 10.10 are pretty nice.  But they may not be everyones cup of tea.  Or you just want to switch them up every once in awhile as to not get bored with your desktop.  No matter what the reason is I have come across what I think is the best icon set for Ubuntu to ever.

Here's a cool way to change your wallpaper with a simple click.  I change my wallpaper several times a day.  This seems to be the medicine for those of us who have wallpaper attention deficit disorder. Indicator-wallpaper changer anyone? By  Joey Sneddon ,  posted  December 29, 2010 It seems there are more ways to change desktop wallpaper in Ubuntu than there are wallpapers. DesktopNova  is another tray-based tool for switching between wallpapers but one which , thanks to  Michael Otto  (who has also made a  Virtualbox indicator ), now has a shiny application indicator to control it with. Install Installation via PPA sound good? Add ppa:michael-astrapi/ppa to your software sources or open a terminal and run the following command: - sudo add-apt-repository ppa:michael-astrapi/ppa The following command will install the required app and indicator: - sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install desktopnova indicat...

If there's one thing that's going to keep people from migrating over to Linux, it's games.  Generally Linux doesn't compare to the amount and quality of games that Windows can provide.  But that's changing by the day.  Many games are now supported under Wine (not emulator but environment).

For you Linux and specifically Ubuntu users out there here's a nice little app that will take care of your video converting needs. 

Last post I wrote about how Ubuntu is perfectly easy way to step out of the Windows world and why I feel it's a great alternative. Now that you have Ubuntu loaded and your ready to go, there's no doubt that you will soon find that you are in need of some software that you used in Windows. But how do you go about finding what the equivalent or alternative is to your Windows counterpart? Below I have posted a list of sites that I found useful. 50 Linux Alternatives Linux.alt Linux.ie Computer World (Choose your Linux distribution as opposed to Windows 7) Google (Google. The software is free after all :^) All these should get you on your way to making your Ubuntu install even more productive with concern to your personal needs.

I’m always interested in what others are doing with their desktops.  Send me a screenshot along with your name or chosen username and I will post it online. michael.malott@gmail.com **One of many products you can use to screen capture with. Screen Capture Software **

Here are some resource I have found for those that may want to give Linux a try.  Linux can be a great way to restore that aging dinosaur of a PC sitting in the corner or alternative to Windows 7.  Alternative doesn’t mean 2nd grade product though.  Below are some links to help you get started in Linux.  If your a Linux newcomer I highly recommend using Ubuntu or Kubuntu.  These two distributions of Linux are very Windows like and the degree of “change” is very little. Links How To Give Linux a Try How To Try Ubuntu Linux Five Linux Alternatives to Windows 7 Videos I have posted up some videos demonstrating Ubuntu and Kubuntu below. Ubuntu 9.10 Kubuntu 9.10

Do you find that you are always coming across content on the internet that you have to post to Facebook?  Here’s a to get a button in your bookmarks bar or your bookmarks folder if you choose so that posting content that you find becomes even more quick and easy.  This will work in any browser. Firefox or Chrome Drag the link below to your bookmark bar if you’re using Firefox or Chrome. Facebook.it Internet Explorer If you’re using Internet Explorer then right click the link and select “Add to Favorites…”.  From there you can add the shortcut by clicking the Favorites star at the top of Internet Explorer. Now click the down arrow next to “Add Favorites”. Go down to “Organize Favorites” and click it.  This will bring up a new window.  Find your Facebook.it bookmark and click the “Move” button at the bottom.   Then click the “Links” folder and “OK”.  It should appear in your favorites bar now. Using the Facebook Link Anytime yo...

For those of you brave enough to tread into the Windows 7 territory already, there are new themes available from Microsoft.  They include Avatar, Bing, Coca-Cola, Ducati, Ferrari, Gears of War 1&2, Infiniti, Pepsi, Lugares Coloridos, Porsche, Zune Characters, Zune Elements, and Zune Zodiac.  Go to the official Windows 7 Theme page, download, click, and enjoy.

I like to consider myself somewhere in between a bleeding edge and outside the norm type of user when it comes to computers.  So when I happened upon an article reviewing the new features of Google’s Chrome 3, I decided to give it a try… again. I did try Chrome when it was released and was very unimpressed.  It struck me as Firefox without the frills.  Don’t get me wrong, that isn’t a bad thing, but why switch from what works to the other side that is a “knock-off”. Initial Reaction Earlier this week, I dove in and installed the latest incarnation of Chrome.  The install was typical and easy.  It installed without a hitch and asked if I would like to import my Firefox bookmarks.  I did this and it even put my bookmark toolbar in the same place as Firefox.  Once installed, one of the first features I noticed was the “New Tab” screen.  This screen presents you with the sites you most visited as screen shots and recently closed in chronolog...