Archives for May 2009

May 15, 2009

Install FFMPEG in Ubuntu 9.04

I found an excellent tutorial on how to install FFMPEG in Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope. I have been struggling with the correct instructions until I accidentally bumped into this thread in the Ubuntu Forums. The instructions listed here did the trick for me. It not only works for Jaunty, but it has instructions for previous versions of Ubuntu as well. It takes a good 15-20 minutes to compile the source code, so grab a cup of coffee and come back later when it is all said and done.

Here’s a typical command to convert a Windows WMV video to Flash FLV video. Read the FFMPEG documentation.

# ffmpeg -i fifa32.wmv -r 25 -ac 2 -ab 64 -ar 11025 -s 300x200 -qscale .1 -y fifa32.flv

May 12, 2009

Dell Mini 10 with Ubuntu

The Dell Inspiron Mini 10 now comes with Ubuntu as an alternative to the standard Windows XP. The difference in price is about $90. Ubuntu is priced at $360, while Windows XP is $460.

The high end Mini 10 comes preconfigured with an Atom Z530 processor, 10.1 inch LCD display, 1GB RAM, 160GB hard drive, 1.3 mp webcam and a 6 cell battery. The standard color is Osidian Black. Additional colors are available for an additional $40-60.

The Mini 10 comes with Ubuntu 8.04 LTS or long term support. Ubuntu’s latest release is version 9.04, codename Jaunty Jackalope.

May 12, 2009

DriveStation TurboUSB 1TB Hard Drive

Are you looking for a 1 Terabyte external drive? Well, check out Buffalo’s DriveStation Turbo USB 1TB Hard Drive that just went on sale at Micro Center for just $99. It was originally priced at $149. The device is easy to setup and connects via USB 2.0 or Firewire IEEE1394. The DriveStation uses TurboUSB making it run 20% faster than the normal USB 2.0 transfer rate. The cables are included with the unit. With autoinstallation, it comes installed with Buffalo’s Memeoâ„¢ AutoBackup software. This is a fanless chassis design making the device run cooler and with less noise. The unit can be placed either vertically or horizontally.