Adding MP3s to Your Blog or Website Couldn’t Be Easier!

After helping a friend install an MP3 player on her website I have learned it’s not as easy as it looks… or is it?

I’m sure you have all seen them. Those cool embedded flash MP3 players that people have on their blogs and myspace pages. I thought that adding one of these to a website or blog would be a piece of cake based on all the embedded code and widgets for blogs out there.

Well starting out not knowing much about where to look I came to realize this was actually much harder than it looks. I messed around with different Wordpress Widgets and code I could embed on a site with no luck.

All the plugins were to complicated to use, or they didn’t work properly, They all used of hand made xml, or xspf playlists and required the user to know a fair amount of code to get them installed properly.

Then I stumbled across a great option which provides a really easy way for users to create your own embedded Flash MP3 player for your website. You can easily do this by using a free tool provided by My Flash Fetish .com, that allows users to create and customize your own flash MP3 player and playlist for use with your blog, myspace, website, etc.

First go to www.myflashfetish.com. To create an embedded player you will need to signup for a free account so you can save your playlist of music. Once you are signed up, click on the “MP3 Playlist” tab in red. This will give you a choice of what you want your player to look like.

Select a player, and it will take you to a screen where you can customize the players options. On the left hand side you have options for Colors, Styles, Skins and Settings. These are pretty self explanatory, and let you customize the look of your player even further.

Some players have “Styles” that allow you to add animated effects to your player which can look pretty cool.

Once you have the look and feel setup use the “MP3 Search” box to the right to find songs for your playlist. My Flash Fetish seems to access a ton of different media networks for their music which gives you almost unlimited options for choosing your songs.

I have setup 25 different songs and genres in the example player above to give people an idea of just how varied the music choices are through the search feature.

Once you have setup a playlist of custom songs you can enter a name for your playlist in the box below and click the green button to save your settings for the mp3 player along with your song playlist.

(Also note the options for shuffle and autoplay near this box, as this can offer specific functionality for how you want your player to work.)

Once you have saved your player you will be taken to screen that shows you the code. There is a copy button near the code on the left hand side that will copy the code you need to add to your site.

Once you have copied the code, paste it into any HTML compatible social network or profile to show off your new MP3 player. For those who are familiar with HTML code you can edit the copied code to strip out some of the unwanted links that appear below your player.

There you have it! You now have a fully functional, really nice MP3 player for your website or blog. Now you can show off your great tastes in music to all of your friends.

For those of you that have been following the news on Intel’s latest Core i7 CPU codenamed Nehalem your patience is about to be rewarded.

Intel has announced the date for the new Core i7 processor, and says it will be available for purchase as of November 17th. There has been a lot of excitement building around the release of the CPU in the computer industry.

Users who are always working to stay on top of the latest and greatest trends in computer hardware got their first taste of the Nehalem on November 3rd when Intel released official pricing information and some early benchmarks on the performance of the CPU started to appear online.

I have already had customers calling and asking about designing a custom Intel Core i7 Gaming PC. With all the power and potential of the i7 CPU for gaming systems, multimedia workstations, and servers it’s no wonder people are so excited about the latest Intel CPU.

There was an article on Tom’s Hardware a couple months back that gave some very early incite into the Nehalem i7 and impressions of overall performance that can be found at the link below.

Nehalem’ 2.93 GHz Benches Revealed - Tom’s Hardware

Keep checking back for more updates and information on the Intel i7 CPU. We are hoping to get our hands on one soon, and will be following up with a review on the cpu with our initial thoughts on the latest quad core processor from Intel.

I have had several questions from readers asking “What is Coltan”? The reason people have asked this is in regards to the article I wrote talking about the use of Coltan in the Sony Playstation.

So I wanted to follow-up with a brief article that answers some of these questions.

Coltan is the name of a metallic ore called “columbite-tantalite”. Two key minerals can be extracted from Coltan. These minerals are niobium and tantalum. Tantalum is used in the production of many types of consumer electronics ranging from cell phones, dvd players, computers and even the Sony Playstation.

Tantalum is used for the production of capacitors for high performance electronics that need to be reliable and compact. Tantalum is produced in countries throughout the world, with less than 1% of total production coming from the Congo region in Africa. (This information goes against claims of civil wars fueled by the mining of Coltan in the Congo.)

For a great article with detailed information on Coltan and Tantalum production checkout the wikipedia entry that goes into depth on the mining, production, uses and geo-political concerns surrounding the production of this mineral.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coltan

Lately a lot of people have been asking me what programs I use to download movies, mp3s and anything else I am looking for online. It’s always fun to see the look on their faces when I tell them “Google”.

The way I do this is by using specialized search commands that look for specific file types, and strip unwanted results out of your search. Because Google is such a powerful search engine it spiders many directories and parts of severs that people are not even aware of. Because of this you can find almost anything you are looking for online if you know how to search Google for it.

The basic command that you use is:

intitle:”index.of”

(IMPORTANT: Make sure the “I” in “intitle” is LOWERCASE. This can make a big difference in how successful your search results are. Try it both ways to see what I mean.)

This commend specifies two very important things in a search. The “intitle” command specifies that we are looking for results with a certain variable in the title. In this case that variable is “index.of”. So what we are telling Google is that we are looking for pages with “index.of” in the title which is commonly used in directories on severs.

Now let’s look at some arguments that can be used with the search. Say we want to find mp3s or movies, we would specify the types of files we are looking for in our search results.

intitle:”index.of” (mp3)

intitle:”index.of” (wmv|avi|mpg)

Now if you wanted to get even more specific you could specify the title of the song or movie you are looking for. This is really useful when you are looking for something specific. You can type the name several ways to vary results.

intitle:”index.of” (mp3) in the mood

intitle:”index.of” (mpg|avi|wmv) “movie.trailers”

Keep in mind that you can change the search results by just typing search related terms as you normally would, putting your terms in quotes for a specific phrase, and by putting a period or space in between terms. All variations will give you slightly different results so have fun and experiement. (For more information on this checkout the Google Search Operators link below.)

Another thing to keep in mind is the that file types we are searching for in our examples are just random ones I pulled of the top of my head. You can search for any type of file you like using this command. One time I was fixing a customer’s computer and needed a missing system file so I did a search for:

intitle:”index.of” (sys) nvatabus

So you see how this can change up the search to return a lot of interesting results.

One thing you probably noticed in a lot of your search results was that you were getting unwanted pages and links. Keep in mind you can always filter out specific things in searches to bring back more specific results. For example:

intitle:”index.of” (mp3|mp4|wmv) “classic rock” -htm -html -asp -php -country -classical

In the search above I am specifying that I am looking for music files with the extension mp3, mp4, or wmv. I am also trying to find music files in the “classic rock” genre. The arguments used after that specify that I do not want my search results to contain any common webpage files like html, or php since we are looking specifically for directory results. I also specified that I did not want search results with the words “country” or “classical” in them.

Another helpful hint is to use the find (CTRL+F) function in directories to help quickly find the file you were searching for.

So from looking at the examples I have provided above you should have a good idea of how this works. The best way to learn how to make the most out of these types of searches is by trying different variations to see what works best for you.

I really like using this technique to find music because sometimes I stumble across a server where someone has very similar tastes in music to me. In those cases I usually check what else is available in the directory by using the “Parent Directory” link at the top to explore other folders in that directory.

For great ideas on how to change the variables in your search checkout more information on Google Search Operators.

So now that you have a good understanding of how this type of search works you should now be able to start using Google as a substitute for your favorite file sharing program. Thanks for checking out Custom PC Blog.

I have had a couple people asking me for a brief follow-up on our “How to POST Test a Motherboard” article. One of the main questions I have been receiving is from people asking how to tell what type of motherboard they have.

It is actually really easy to determine the make and model of your motherboard if you do not have the motherboard box, or you are trying to identify the model of a motherboard that is already inside a system.

Most manufacturers now label the motherboard model with a sticker located near the motherboard serial number. On newer boards this is usually located directly between the memory slots and the CPU socket on the motherboard.

On older boards you might need to look a little harder to find this information as it is usually silk screened between the PCI slots on the board or somewhere below the CPU socket. This was especially common on older 478 and Socket-A motherboards.

(If your computer is working you can always download a software program such as CPUZ from cupid.com which will identify all the parts in your system including your motherboard model number.)

Below are some pictures that will give you reference examples of where to find this information on newer boards from some of the most popular motherboard manufacturers including Intel, ASUS, Gigabyte.

Intel Motherboard Model Numbers

In the first images we are looking at an Intel Motherboard Box and the board itself. You can see in the first picture where the model number is located in the box indicated by the red arrow in the image. In the next picture you can see this information is located on the motherboard near the memory slots indicated by the arrow.

ASUS Motherboard Model Numbers

In the next images we are looking at an ASUS motherboard. You can see that on the motherboard box the model number for the board is located below the serial number. On the board itself this information is located near the memory slots again, between the CPU socket and the north-bridge chipset cooler.

Gigabyte Motherboard Model Numbers

In the next images we are looking at a Gigabyte motherboard. On the Gigabyte motherboard box you will notice the model is posted in big letters near the standard box sticker. The information on the sticker is located at the top in big letters. On the board itself this information is once again located near the memory slots, between the memory and north-bridge chipset cooler.

Socket 478 and Socket-A Motherboard Model Numbers

In our last two images we are looking at two older motherboards.

The first image on the left is an Intel Socket 478 Motherboard from ASUS. You can see the brand designation in the upper portion of the picture and the model between the two bottom PCI slots. This information has been silk screened onto the motherboard. (The revision number of this motherboard can be located in small print to the right of the model number)

In the picture on the right we are looking at an old ECS Socket-A Motherboard. As you can see in the image the model number of this motherboard has also been silk screened onto the board, and this time it is located right below the north-bridge chipset cooler.

Conclusion

Overall this guide should give you a good idea of where to look to find the information you are looking for to help you identify the make and model of your motherboard.

These locations seem to be pretty standard on most new motherboard but are subject to change at a moments notice depending on what manufacturers decide to do. When in doubt check different labels on your motherboard and type them into Google to confirm if they are a model number. If you type in a model number it should return many relevant results that will help you identify that you have correctly located the model number.

Hey guys. I just wanted to do something a little different and fun for Halloween. I wanted to show a video that highlights the very scary side of computers and technology and that is… providing support to end users. I’m sure we have all been here at least once.

Hi everyone. I wanted to write a brief guide today to help people with one of the most common questions we get in the computer industry, how to do a POST test.

A POST test is one of the most important steps in building your own computer that can sometimes give users problems. Follow the steps below to ensure your components are installed correctly, or to troubleshoot any problems in a “No POST” situation.

A POST test can be performed outside of the case, but needs to be done on an insulated surface. Using the foam insert that came with your motherboard, or POST testing the board on top of the motherboard box are two suitable methods.

01. The first thing you need to do is make sure you have all the needed computer hardware to perform a POST Test. To do a POST test you will need:

1. Motherboard
2. CPU / Processor
3. RAM / Memory
4. Power Supply

These are the basic hardware requirements to perform a POST test.

(You may need a video card also if your motherboard does not have onboard video)

02. Install the processor on your motherboard. All CPUs have markings which show how they need to be aligned when they are installed. An Intel (Socket 775) CPU commonly has two notches in the sides which align with indents in the CPU socket. An AMD CPU (Socket AM2, Phenom, etc) have an arrow located on one corner that needs be aligned with an arrow on the CPU socket.

03. Once the processor is installed make sure you secure the lever on the side of the CPU socket. This holds the processor in place. Double-check to make sure you have properly installed your CPU before securing this lever to prevent against bent pins or damage to the processor or CPU socket.

04. Once the lever is down, and the processor is locked into the socket you will need to install your CPU heat sync (Cooler). When installing an Intel cooler make sure the 3 pin wire from the fan can reach the 3 pin connection on your motherboard. To secure the heat sync you will need to push down on each of the four pegs on the sides of the cooler. You should feel a small click as each one latches through the motherboard. (If you do not feel a click make sure the pegs are oriented the correct way to prevent bending the teeth on the pegs.)

For an AMD CPU cooler you will fasten the metal tabs on the heat sync onto the tabs located on the CPU socket. (Make sure the 3 pin wire from the fan can reach the 3 pin connection on your motherboard.) Once the tabs are in place, turn the swing arm on the cooler over to lock the cooler into place.

05. Next we will be installing the RAM. Whether you are using DDR or DDR2 memory you will want to make sure you are aligning your RAM correctly when you install it onto your motherboard. Memory has a notch in the teeth which needs to line up with the notch in the memory socket. Place the RAM gently in the memory slot and check to make sure these notches are aligned before applying pressure. Once you have confirmed the RAM is aligned correctly apply moderate pressure from the top and you should feel the memory click into place. You can double-check that the RAM is secure by making sure the tabs on the sides of the memory slot have latched into the memory module you are installing.

06. Now we need to hookup the power connections for the motherboard. You should have two leads from your power supply that need to be connected to the motherboard. One lead will be a 20 or 24 pin ATX power connection. The other will be a 4 pin ATX power connection.

Check on your board for these connections. The 20/24 pin power connection will commonly be located near the memory slots, and the 4 pin power connection will usually be located between your CPU and the rear I./O connections on your motherboard.

Each connection has a tab (or notch) that locks the power connection in place. Check the connections on the board and align the notch with the tab on the power connection. (These connections are “keyed” so they will only fit one way. If you insert the cable into the power connection on the board and it goes in you have it aligned the correct way.) You should feel a small click when you insert the power cable which ensures it has been fully inserted.

07. Now that we have everything connected you will want to hookup your keyboard and monitor to the motherboard. Also make sure you have plugged in the AC power cable to the power supply and ensure the power supply is set to on. (The black button on the back of the power supply).

(If you do not have onboard video you will need to install a video card to connect your monitor.)

Once you have these things hooked up you are ready to try and POST the motherboard. Refer to your motherboard manual to identify the 2 pins on the motherboard that are for your “power” switch. Take a flathead screw driver and tap these two pins to power on the motherboard combo.

Conclusion

You should now see basic POST information coming up on the screen. If you do not you may want to double check the steps listed above to make sure you did not miss a step.

If you have performed all the steps above correctly check the list below of common troubleshooting checks to check for any configuration problems or hardware issues.

1. Make sure you are jumping the correct pins on the motherboard for the “power” switch. Refer to your motherboard manual as the colors can vary with every motherboard.
2. Make sure the VGA cable from the monitor is securely connected to your onboard video or video card.
3. Make sure your monitor is turned on.
4. Check to make sure the CPU fan is plugged into the 3 pin connection on your motherboard. A fan that is not spinning can lead people to believe the board is not powering on.
5. Check to make sure your memory is aligned and installed correctly in the memory socket. It is not uncommon that one side of the memory latched into place but the other side did not. When in doubt remove your RAM and reseat it in the memory socket.
6. Double-check that your ATX power connections are firmly inserted into the board. Give each one a slight tug to make sure it doesn’t pop out of the connection indicating that it wasn’t making solid contact.
7. Check the power switch on the rear of your power supply. It is a black switch that has a one and zero on it. 0 indicates the power supply is turned “off” and 1 indicates the power supply is turned on.
8. Try resetting your CMOS. This can be done with the 3 pin jumper indicated in your manual. (This is commonly located near the battery.) You can also remove the battery for about one minute from your motherboard. Make sure the AC power cable is disconnected from your power supply when you do this as any slight charge in the board will allow the system to retain the settings we are trying to reset.
9. Make sure that the wall outlet you are plugged into is not controlled by a wall switch. If it is, make sure the switch is turned on.
10. Check to make sure the AC cable connected to your power supply is securely plugged in.
11. If you are plugged into a power strip try plugging directly into a wall outlet to eliminate any variables between the motherboard combo and the outlet. (For testing purposes, It is recommend to use a power strip for normal use.)
12. Reseat your CPU by removing the processor from the motherboard, and reinstalling it. When you remove the CPU visually inspect the pins on the CPU or the CPU socket to make sure none of them are bent. Double check the tabs or arrows on the CPU and the CPU socket to make sure the CPU is aligned properly. The CPU should lay flat in the socket, and requires no force to install. You should be able to place it gently into the socket.

If none of the techniques listed above work you may be running into an issue with faulty hardware or a problem that goes outside the scope of this guide. If this is the case contact the hardware manufacturer for help, or check online and in forums for advice from other users about things you can check.

I hope you all enjoyed our first “How-To” guide on the Custom PC Blog. Please feel free to leave any feedback or comments with questions or suggestions.

If you are looking for a great place for computer hardware, that offers component testing, barebones and combo build services for less than $10 dollars, and a FREE one year warranty check out www.cpusolutions.com for some of the best service around.

You have probably been seeing a lot of the promotions out there lately for Linux systems under $300 dollars. It seems like a lot of businesses have been catching on to the latest trends in computers and are trying to create more offerings for their customers.

Companies like Walmart, and Sears are now offering cheap Linux desktops to appeal to families with smaller budgets, that can’t afford an expensive computer system just for home use.

Recently I came across two great Linux PCs on CPU Solutions that offer amazing value and quality at a very competitive price. Both of these systems are SFF (Small Form Factor) PCs that utilize some of the best hardware for micro computing.

The systems were design around the Intel D945GCLF Mini ITX motherboard which comes integrated with the 45nm Intel ATOM Processor running a 1.6Ghz.

These energy efficient motherboards utilize the Intel 945GC Express Chipset to provide great video performance, high quality audio and 10/100 ethernet all onboard eliminating the need for expensive peripherals that should come standard with a computer system.

The computers also come configured with 512mb of DDR2 memory, and a SATA (Serial ATA) hard drive for high speed data access and storage.

Each system comes preconfigured with a low profile case that barely makes a foot print in work areas providing you with more desk space. Users are given a lot of options for customization on these systems and can configure different hardware setups to meet their exact specifications.

I recently had a chance to demo the “MITX Linux System” which is competitively priced at $299.99, and I was very impressed with the performance and quality on such an inexpensive system.

The first thing I would like to point out is how well these systems run Kubuntu and different software applications for Linux. I was a bit skeptical with the ATOM processor before I had a chance to use it as I am mainly a Windows user and I am use to the high performance demands set by Microsoft.

The operating system loaded amazingly fast and seemed to respond instantly with any of the programs I was testing. The 512mb of DDR2 memory was more than enough for anything I was running on the system under Linux, and provided great performance for office and multimedia tasks. This is a major difference than the performance I experience with my home PC which is running Windows XP Pro.

The thing that was most impressive with the MITX Linux System was the quality of the 945GC Chipset when it came to onboard functions. I am a gamer at heart and love playing older titles and classic games. I decided to test the system with Mupen64, a Nintedo64 emulator for Linux to see if I could use the PC as a Linux Gaming System.

As soon as I had everything setup I loaded one of my all time favorite games for the Nintendo64… Zelda: The Ocarina of Time. It looked beautiful! This was truly a sub $300 Linux system that I could enjoy gaming on.

The system also performed exceptionally for basic functions like word processing, email, internet, music, and movies. Everything you would expect from a $600 dollar Windows system at half the price.

Overall I am highly impressed with what companies have been able to do by utilizing some of the latest computer hardware, and open source operating systems like Kubuntu and other flavors of Linux.

I think these two systems are great examples of computers that offer amazing value to families and business while keeping the end user in mind.

There was theory put forth by Nicholas Carr several months ago that tried to assert that people using Google were actually becoming dumber because they no longer read actual information or “books” and merely “skimmed” through information for answers.

Well the BBC has recently published findings that were gathered from an actual scientific study that not only contradicted this claim, but showed that users who were actively Googling had a higher amount of activity in the brain in regions that controlled decision making and complex reasoning.

Now this is something that many internet users already assumed, but the latest results of the study conducted by University of California Los Angeles showed substantial increases in brain activity with experienced web users while searching, as opposed to just reading a book.

The study suggests that the multitude of options presented in search results may be attributed to the increase in brain activity as it forces users to make choices in order to find the most relevant information in searches.

It is very promising to see how emerging technologies are offering a physiological benefit to those who are utilizing them. We have already been seeing findings like this released with gaming systems like the Nintendo DS which doctors have been recommending to older patients and those with head related injuries to help stimulate the mind.

For more information on the latest findings checkout the full article here on BBC News.

CPU Solutions is a computer company based in Middleton, Wisconsin that specializes in producing custom built computer systems for home, office and business applications. CPU Solutions was ranked as one of the top 30 computer builders in the United States by CRN magazine in 2007.

The appeal of custom built systems that cater to business needs has not gone unnoticed as more and more businesses are having systems built to their specifications for unique applications. One example of this is the latest system that CPU Solutions has been building for clients, an affordable solid state computer with no moving parts.

While the idea of solid state computing has been around for many years, the price point has always been a deciding factor in a company’s purchase of the technology. At the request of a client, CPU Solutions set about designing a cost effective solution that would meet the requirements that the system have no moving parts.

The company opted for a solid state alternative to drive down the overall cost of their computers, by reducing the chance of failing parts. By taking moving parts out of the systems they have reduced the overall failure rates in the field which has saved the companies money in the long run.

“The computers we are producing are industrial quality builds that operate with low energy consumption” stated Carson Fulton, the founder of the company. “Without fans or moving parts we are increasing the lifespan of the systems. This will require less investment on behalf of the company as they will spend less to maintain their systems over time.”

He went on to state that recent price drops on flash memory, and solid state hard drives have contributed to an overall lower system cost. Because of the price drops, along with larger flash memory capacity and solid state storage the technology has become more practical for small businesses, allowing CPU Solutions to build very affordable solid state systems that can be scaled to any application.

The current model they are building is a “small form factor” PC (SFF) with an ITX motherboard that is designed to function under normal conditions without the need for fans. By replacing internal power supplies, hard drives and fans with emerging technologies CPU Solutions has designed an affordable solid state system for business.

“The systems are capable of running Windows or Linux, with Linux being the preferred operating system for our client. This creates even more useful applications for this type of low profile system because the customer can design their own software to run under Linux for applications like security monitoring, and remote management.”

The applications for these types of systems can range from kiosks, demo systems, building control units, and security systems to something as simple as a low noise media PC. Carson went on to mention “While the focus for this design was no moving parts, being a custom computer builder gives us the flexibility to design a system that meets any client’s needs. You ask for it and we will provide a solution to make it happen!”

Will solid state computers be the next big thing in computing? “It’s hard to say with the way the computer industry operates. We feel our systems showcase the potential for custom built computer solutions that will allow us to meet the client’s needs and budget. You are never limited to one configuration or use and that’s the great thing about white box computer systems.”

Whether or not solid state PCs are the next trend in computing, it is refreshing to see a company thinking outside the box. As technology evolves we find ourselves coming up with new ways to solve problems. As the name would imply, CPU Solutions seems to take this mantra to heart when designing computers for their customers.