Google Chrome Hijacked My PC

A couple of months ago, I updated Google Earth - love playing around on it, and seeing what my destination looks like. However, it apparently comes with Google Chrome when you download it, and if you're not careful, it gets installed as well. I'm an avid downloader, and always look for those little check-boxes in advanced settings, so I don't get that little bonus that you didn't want. For some odd reason, no mention of Chrome was made in the version of the GE installer that I downloaded. So... after the installer went through the hoops of collecting all the files it needed, up pops a Chrome window, directing itself to to the internet... wait... WTF?!?! I DON"T HAVE CHROME!!!! I immediately canceled the install and removed Chrome from Add/Remove Programs - little did I know that my problems had just begun. From that point forward, just about every app I have, that opens a browser window, in the process of doing what it's supposed to do (like trillian, yahoo messenger, SVN, etc...) - stopped working. They would tell me when I had mail, but would NOT open a window, when I wanted to read my mail. Well, I did some digging, and came up with this - the first thing Chrome does when it installs, is set itself to be the default for everything related to the world wide web, even before, you are given the option to say NO - I never made it that far, as the browser was still loading, when I cancelled the install.

The key it sets looks like this;

"C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" -- "%1"

and it's everywhere... see images (if image is cutoff, click to view full-size).

Even after going through Add/Remove Programs/Set Access and Defaults - these settings remain. So now I have to manually go through and change everyone of them, back to IE or Firefox, depending on what I prefer. Thanks Google - for making sure my opinion of your product does not change - Chrome Sucks, and thanks again for reminding me.

(Note: Did you notice in the first image, that it says Firefox, but the default app is still Chrome? Yeah, king of the search engines, but you can't clean up your own mess - good job!)

Sound Card Upgrade Shootout - Pre Purchase Review

Musician's Friend     After many loyal years with Sound Blaster Live! PCI, as the main interface for my Home DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), I have decided to pursue other avenues of connection, that further appeal to digital music production, quality of sound, and capabilities.

In this blog I will compare; my on-board Realtek High Definition Audio, previous incarnations of Sound Blaster Live!, M-Audio Audiophile 192 (on my current wish list), E-mu 0404, and other comparable interfaces from various other manufacturers. The list will begin from my chosen device from each manufacturer, and proceed with head to head spec comparisons, as well as online research.

As a baseline, my on-board Realtek HD falls short of what I have become accustomed to with the Live! Series cards, and the Live! itself, has issues as well, but still quite capable of low latency, multi-track audio, as well as the use of VST plug-ins. Upon researching other products, that have since come into a suitable price range - I decided upon the Audiophile 192 as my product of choice from M-Audio. At the time of this writing Musician's Friend has this card for $123.99 with free shipping to the lower 48 states.

As a further baseline of neutrality, I will use RightMark Audio Analyzer 6.2.3 to harvest real world benchmarks from these cards whenever possible. Testing both MME and WDM drivers as well as Asio and others, whenever applicable.

So... what else is out there, that fits my needs and self imposed budget??? That remains to be seen...

 Selection Rules: 24-bit/192kHz (in and out), @least 2-in/2-out analog, MIDI I/O, S/PDIF (in and out), under $200, balanced or unbalanced I/O, ASIO support preferred, "Single" PCI or PCIe interface only (no break-out boxes, daughter cards, USB, or FireWire).

(Update - 3/6/2011) Cards so far...
The Old:

Realtek HDA
Creative SoundBlaster Live! 5.1
Yamaha YMF724F-V (Labway A301-G50)
Creative Ensoniq ES1371 & 1373 (Just because I still have them handy)

The New:

M-Audio Audiophile 192
E-MU 0404
ESI Juli@

The Specs: (For now these will be cut and paste, but reorganized for readability as I progress.)

Creative SoundBlaster Live! 5.1

General Features:
Hollywood-Quality Digital Audio Engine
User-selectable bit rates from 8-bit to 16-bit.
User-selectable sample rates from 8kHz to 48kHz.
All sound sources are handled with 32-bit precision for highest quality output.
Analog and Digital I/O modes supported.
Hardware full-duplex support
Utilizes AC97 audio codec.
Supports MPU-401 UART mode.
IBM® compatible 15-pin joystick port with analog support.
Support for digital and DirectInput game devices.

Playback and Recording Sources:
Sound Blaster® 16 Emulation in DOS box and real mode DOS.
64 audio channels
Each channel can operate in 8 bit or 16 bit mode.
48kHz recording from AC97 sample rate converted to 8 common rates to host memory
Playback Recording Sources: CD_IN, AUX_IN, LINE_IN, MIC_IN, TAD, MIDI and Wave..
- CD_SPIDIF In
Full duplex recording and playback.
MIDI Interface via MIDI/Game port

E-m Systems EMU10K music synthesis engine:
64-voice hardware polyphony
64 hardware and 1024 PCI wave-table synthesis
48 MIDI channels with 128 GM & GS-. compatible instruments and 10 drum kits
Uses SoundFont technology for user-definable wave-table sample sets
Loads up to 32MB of samples into host memory for professional music reproduction

Effects Engine:
E-mu Systems EMU10K1™ patented effects processor.
Supports real-time digital effects like reverb, chorus, echo, flanger, etc.
Customizable effects architecture allows audio effects and channel control.
Full bass, treble, and effects controls available for all audio.
Bass management functionality for center & subwoofer channels in 5.1 mode.
Only Bass Management Configuration 0 with Bass (LFE) redirection implemented.
Environmental Audio and 3D Audio Technology

User-selectable settings are optimized for headphones, 2, 4, and 5.1 speakers
Accelerates Microsoft DirectSound and DirectSound3D, EAX.


M-Audio Audiophile 192 ($123.99)Musician's Friend

• up to 24-bit/192kHz audio
• 2 balanced analog inputs (1/4” TRS)
• 2 balanced analog outputs (1/4” TRS)
• S/PDIF digital I/O (coaxial RCA connectors) with 2-channel PCM
• SCMS copy protection control
• digital I/O supports surround-encoded AC-3 and DTS pass-through**
• direct hardware input monitoring via separate balanced 1/4” TRS monitor outputs
• software routing of inputs and outputs
• digital I/O can be routed to/from external effects
•16-channel MIDI I/O
• ASIO, WDM, GSIF 2 and Core Audio driver support for compatibility with most applications 64-bit driver support for Windows
• PCI 2.2 compatibility
• Apple G5 compatible
E-MU 0404 ($119.99) Musician's Friend

General
Sample Rates: 44.1, 48, 96, 192kHz from internal crystal or externally supplied clock (no sample rate conversion)Bit Depths: 24-bit I/O, 32-bit processing
PCI Specification:
– PCI 2.2 Compliant
–Form Factor: Universal Keyed, Short PCI Card
–3.3V I/O, 5V Tolerant
–PCI Bus-Mastering DMA subsystem reduces CPU usage
E-MU E-DSP 32-bit DSP with 67-bit accumulator (double precision w/ 3 headroom bits)
Hardware-accelerated, 32-channel mixing, and multi-effects processing
Zero-latency direct hardware monitoring with effects
ASIO 2.0, WDM/MME/DirectSound Drivers
Anti-Pop speaker protection minimizes noise during power on/off
Ultra-low jitter, clock subsystem: < 1 ns in PLL mode (44.1kHz, Opt. S/PDIF Sync)

Analog Line Inputs (2)
Type: DC-coupled, low-noise input circuitry
A/D converter: PCM1804
Frequency Response (20Hz - 20kHz): 0. 20dB/0.10dB
Dynamic Range (1kHz, A-weighted): 111dB
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-weighted): 111dB
THD+N (1kHz at -1dBFS): -100dB (.001%)
Stereo Crosstalk (1kHz at -1dBFS): < -120dB

Analog Line Outputs (2)
Type: low-noise, 3-pole low-pass differential filter
D/A converter: AK4395 Level: -10dBV nominal, 6dBV max (unbalanced) Frequency Response (20Hz - 20kHz): + 0.05/-0.10dB,
Dynamic Range (1kHz, A-weighted): 116dB
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-weighted): 116dB
THD+N (1kHz at -1dBFS): -100dB (.001%)
Stereo Crosstalk (1kHz at -1dBFS): < -109dB

Digital I/O
S/PDIF: 2 in/2 out optical or coaxial (transformer coupled)
AES/EBU or S/PDIF format (software selectable)
MIDI: 1 in, 1 out

ESI Juli@ ($149) zZounds

Features
- 2 analog input channels, 2 analog output channels

- 24-bit/192kHz AD converter with 114dB(a) dynamic range

- 24-bit/192kHz DA converter with 112dB(a) dynamic range

- Swappable socket (Unbalanced RCA with -10dBv or Balanced TRS with +4dBu )

- Coaxial S/PDIF digital input

- Synchronisation to digital S/PDIF input signals

- Optical S/PDIF digital output with automatic shutter (max.96kHz)

- Coaxial S/PDIF digital output (max 192kHz)

- 1 MIDI input (16 channels) / 1 MIDI output (16 channels)

- Support for DirectWIRE 3.0

- 4 inputs and 4 outputs can be used with 24bit/192kHz simultaneously (incl. MIDI I/O) - full duplex

- PCI card is compatible with 3.3V and 5V PCI slots

- Independent monitoring control for analog and digital input signals and playback

- EWDM driver: MME, DirectSound, ASIO 2.0 and GSIF 2.0 support

- Windows 98SE/ME/XP/2000/Vista/7 compatible

- Compatible with Mac OS X 10.1 and newer (Power Mac G4/G5)

- Linux compatible (ALSA)

Included Break Out Cable:
This cable provides 24bit/192kHz coaxial inputs and outputs and 16 MIDI I/O channels and fully supports up to 192 kHz.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 12-20-2014 - I ended up buying the Audiophile 192 - haven't used it once (I put it in when I got it though). The onboard sound of my MSI MoBo is capable of 24bit/192 kHz, and has done quite well for my purposes (mostly videos, with 2 stereo audio streams). The M-Audio card may come in handy later on, if my recording needs expand, beyond my current setup. Loopback Recording in Windows 7, could possibly push me past that threshold, maybe sooner than later, we'll see...

Battery Life

Put new Duracell AAA batteries in my iRocks Keyboard, and M305 mouse. I've learned over the years, that nothing compares to a Duracell, and nothing else compares to buying them from a place that sells lots of batteries, like Wal-Mart. This post is just a place marker for when I put them in... I know they will last much longer than anything else, I just want to know how long in these particular products.

Update: 11/12/2010 - Battery died in the mouse... it was the included one, so not sweating it too much. Gonna try the rechargeables next.

Update: 12/1/2010 - Couldn't find the rechargeables, popped in a battery from a camera. Put a fresh Duracell in the mouse today... Keyboard still going strong ;-)

Update: 12/3/2010 - Low battery light came on today, on the keyboard... not losing any functionality yet.


Update 12/26/2010 - Battery died in mouse, may have been due to losing in the seat cushion...


Update 12/27/2010 - Batteries in Keyboard cashed...


So... the keyboard is good for about 3 months (2 AAA), and the mouse for one month (1 AA)... not bad ;-)

Logitech M305 Wireless Mouse

i-ROCKS RF-6520 Wireless Keyboard

I just got my latest shipment of goodies from newegg today; memory for a customer, memory for me, a seagate SATA drive for a USB enclosure, and my new wireless keyboard; the RF-6520 Slim Cordless 1.5 AREA Keyboard from i-ROCKS. First of all, this thing rocks!!! It's like typing on a laptop, without the laptop. The keys are almost identical to those on my Dell Latitude; same scissor function, subtle "clicky" feel, and that lazy bones easy access reach, that you don't get with a full size keyboard. The space bar is a little narrower and places the right alt key in a not so natural position - beneath the "m" and "," keys instead of the normal "," and "." location, but I can deal with that. The "PgUp", "PgDn", "Home", and "End" keys are on the arrow keys; accessed by pressing a blue "Fn" key, just like Dell...;-) The number pads are moved closer to the the qwerty keys and rearranged in a narrower, but entirely functional format. I honestly believe they took a regular Dell laptop keyboard, just put it in a case, and made it wireless - GREAT IDEA!!!!!! I have always wanted something like this and so far, I am quite satisfied.

Range:

Two different ranges are stated on the packaging; the most prominent being 15 feet in the generic retail description and 15 meters in the feature list and everywhere else on the box. The 15' range listed on newegg.com, along with the price, is what caught my attention. Once I got it up and running, which was pretty much "plug and play", I was able to use it consistently from the opposite corner of my house - about 50 feet ,give or take. Given the 2.4GHz wireless technology, I am sure it can go the specified 15 meters and then some - that's just all the further I chose to walk, because it's cold outside and I didn't see the need to benchmark a keyboard I intend to use 10 feet away on my couch. The word "feet" in the description was obviously a typo, nuff said.

Battery Life and Responsiveness:

Since I received it today (2/19/2010), I expect it will be a while before I can really comment on power consumption. My unit came with 2 AAA batteries, that at the time of this writing, have been in use for 6 hours and running fine. The keyboard has 4 LEDs in the top right corner to indicate; "NumLock", "Caps Lock", "Power", and "Low Battery" [Update - 4/6/2010 - the "low battery" light came on tonight, but still working just fine!]. It has an Auto-Power-Off feature that I will time when I get a chance, "just can't stop playing with this thing!!!!" When returning from an off-state, the unit responds the same as a wired keyboard, with no noticeable hesitation or dropping of initial key strokes. When I first started using it, I instinctually treated it as I would any normal wireless peripheral, "tap" or "click it" to life before using - I quickly found that this was not necessary, as it it springs immediately to life and the first key stroke appears instantly on the computer screen.

[Update - 5/2/2010 - the "low battery" light has been "DIM" for a few days now, and tonight the keyboard finally started acting sketchy (dropping characters, prolly just a drop in range), so... NOT BAD, for out of the box battery life, under daily use (taking 6 online courses at a local college). Summary: After 46 days of use, the "low battery" light came on, 26 days later, the battery life was obviously spent, and time to change the batteries. Very impressive for generic "batteries included" cells, as I will be using my "energizer rechargeables", which have an outstanding track record, for reliability. I noticed one disappointing quirk, "the low battery light stays on", even after auto-power off, once it is low enough to be activated. That about 625 hours, of continuous illumination, leaching power after the "low battery limit" is achieved. Not a huge drawback, but still plenty of time to remind myself to throw another set on the charger, and I'd rather change batteries, than take out the trash any day. So for a little over 2 months of initial battery life, in basically an over sized but quite useful remote control, it's not going to leave me complaining, by any means.]

[Update - 10/6/2010 - After the included batteries expired, I tried various other brands to see what usage would be like. The results were not good, as I was replacing them quite frequently. Well, today I put in a fresh pair of Duracell AAA, and we'll see how long these last. One thing I did notice about the battery life, is that one cell was severely more depleted than the other. Not just a little either - I mean 0.19 volts in one, and 1.4 volts in the other. I'm not sure if it was a good idea, but I was replacing only the cashed cell, and leaving the other in with the new cell. Hopefully Duracell fairs better than the rest, as I really hate it when something stops working, right in the middle of typing. This is the only USB keyboard I have, so I have to shutdown and restart, to use a corded one... oh yeah, my PC locks up, if I have 2 keyboards plugged in at once.]

Form Factor and Weight:

Like I mentioned my initial summary, it's like typing on a laptop, without the laptop; weighing in at a mere 11.9 ounces or 338 grams, this thing is a dream to handle. I picked up my old Dell keyboard out of habit just now, while weighing the i-ROCKS on my postal scale and oh yeah, huge difference (I like the i-ROCKS a lot better). Dimensionally speaking, the i-ROCKS is super thin, but not thin enough to be flimsy; with a footprint of approximately 13 1/2" X 5 1/2" (344mm X 138mm), it leaves plenty of room for a dinner plate or textbook. It is also quite rigid, having just over a 1/4" of thickness at its thinnest point and 3/4" at the rear. It also boasts, some pretty stout looking, fold out feet to tip it a little less prone, a feature I that doubt I will use, as it will spend a majority of its life on my lap. Since I am on the subject of feet, it has 4 engineered rubber feet along the front edge to keep it from sliding around on a desktop. I say engineered, because they are not just cheap stick-on rubber feet; the are manufactured at an angle complimentary to the base and have non-skid cross-hatching in them as well. I tried to peel one off, just to see if it would budge... nope... they're permanent.

Price:

$24.99 before shipping; well worth the price paid, when compared to the cost of replacement laptop keyboard or a full-size wireless keyboard. Some may argue that it should come with a mouse as well; I disagree, as not everyone has the same taste in mice, nor is it really fair to package two related, but seldom equivalent peripherals. Typically, when I am primarily typing, I use my mouse (or track-ball), to scroll the page or to place the cursor, and little else. In a similar fashion, when I am primarily using my mouse (or track-ball), while browsing or manipulating any graphic content on the screen, my keyboard is only used to type in a few keys-strokes here and there at best (passwords, shortcuts, hot-keys, etc...) So in short, customizing your choice in each device, is not entirely out of the question (I'm still looking for a wireless replacement for my 10 year old Logitech Track-Ball), I may end up doing a hack with an optical wireless mouse.

Rating: - Why didn't I think of that?

I did, many times, but like anything else, if you want it bad enough, more than likely someone else does too - and it will appear on the market at some point in time. I think this is a great product and plan on buying a couple more, for the desktops in the house. [After 72 days and enough continuous daily use, to make the home keys shiny, I am still quite satisfied with my purchase, and will recommend this product to anyone, without hesitation.][12/1/2010 - It is now December, and I am still quite satisfied with the keyboard, with one minor quirk... I'm still not used to the location of the decimal key, plus, the number pad delete key (the one you can use with num-lock off) just happens to on that key as well, diagonal from the normal delete key. To be honest, the whole number pad arrangement, is still kind of awkward...  it's squished together into 3 columns, instead of 4, and the relocated keys are in a less than optimal arrangement. If I had one suggestion, I would re-map the number pad, with the numbers at the top, and the operator keys at the bottom. At least to get it in a more usable layout.

Update - 8/14/2014 - Still going strong after a little over 4 years. Both leveling feet have long since broken off (pfft! it's a couch keyboard - oh well...), most of the keys are all now shiny, and about the only thing I would ever change, is the location of the PgUp, PgDn, Home, and End keys. Pushing a Fn key, on the opposite of the keyboard, for these functions, all the while the arrow keys are duplicated and accessible via "NumLk" (just two keys away), is just plain annoying and piss poor design. When I go in search of a replacement for this unit, I will definitely put that at the top of my list of must haves - proper page key access. It would be much more convenient, to just switch back and forth on the number pad, with one hand, for the arrow keys, than using two hands, for two keys (PgUp and PgDn). 

12-20-2014 - Well, the keyboard died last night :-( Not sure what happened - it was shutting off, if it fell over, or got dropped, and I would have to take the batteries out, to turn it back on. Last night it just quit - the low battery light will come on, if the batteries are low, but that's about it... Using a Bluetooth KB for now, hoping I figure out what is wrong with the iRocks, because they don't make that style anymore - just the "chicklets" kind - and those SUCK!!!!! This BT KB isn't bad, but it's missing a real number pad and  just feels weird to use... ugh!