• Abstract view of NYC via Legos. (Thanks @nicolewmiller and @agencyspy) http://nyti.ms/17QHwn #
• Where have I been? If you care about a great medical comeback story about Roger Ebert read Esquire's The Essential Man http://j.mp/cewTyw #
• In Missouri, It is Illegal To Drive With An Uncaged Bear, and 16 other crazy real laws [funny] http://bit.ly/c77CX9 #
• Chris Anderson has seen the future of magazines — and it's on a tablet. http://bit.ly/dBglDX #in #
• OK Go's Rube Goldberg machine video. 3.5m views on YT in days. I like CG but I love building things by hand. http://bit.ly/9jC5dg #
• Great op-ed on AdAge about race in the business. Please read and comment. http://bit.ly/c3eEnk #in #

• Chatroulette http://nyti.ms/dngdgH and Foursquare http://nyti.ms/cDIzt4 back in the NY Times this past weekend. #in #
• Google Drinks Your Milkshake, but Do Consumers Care? http://adage.com/u/UHQ6Oa #
• Here is some grade school humor using college level CSS. Possibly NSFW. http://bit.ly/c6Shmy #nerd #
• For a good laugh listen to the latest Moth Podcast, Peter Aguero: The Entertainer. #
• At Digital Dumbo 13 Galapagos Dumbo NYC. Brought to us tonight by the fine folks at http://www.heyhush.com #digitaldumbo #
• RT @9to5mac: New Post: Apple files for 'Magic Trackpad' trademark: Apple filed for the 'magic trackpad… http://goo.gl/fb/F6oc #
• Playing with Curatorr. Curate the conversation. From the folks that brought us Trendrr. http://www.curatorr.com/ #curatorr #trendrr #in #

• Polls show strong support for end of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" http://sbne.ws/r/3R5f #
• Send a valentine e-card today with singing football hooligans. http://bit.ly/dokRyT From Puma. A campaign I helped produce for Droga5. #
• But can Tiger still play golf? His endorsements are about how amazing a golfer he is and how he dedicated his life to his sport right? #
• Let me tell you all about the Manhattan Inn. Not in Manhattan. With the stylish @nicolewmiller #

• RT @bogusky My new job. Mom, please read. http://post.ly/LzdD #in #
• Big fan of Mr. X from Bla Bla Kids and the other toys that made it into the Kia Sorento Superbowl commercial http://bit.ly/a6QQiq #
• MTV why? Not that I knew you anymore. The old you with Liquid TV and videos is history Now you "update" your logo? http://bit.ly/czW6hg #
• Started on a project at Berlin Cameron this week #in #
• What I enjoy the most about bad weather is that the experience is completely democratic. Everyone has to deal with it somehow. #
• @NYCbigApps winners announced! My favs are parking related and complaining about your taxi. Using the NYC Data Mine. http://bit.ly/3DGIyO #
• Researching the sourcing of the local coffee. Cooperative unions, direct trade and the Third Wave of coffee. http://bit.ly/Thlsl #nerd #

• Case-Mate let's you design your own iPhone case http://bit.ly/4XFzbs #
• From @agencyspy: Finally, a 'Wear Your Seatbelt' PSA That Makes Us Cry: http://bit.ly/bZT9pv via @addthis #
• Watching Grammys. Big #fail however. I don't own my own 3D glasses yet. Can I get those on Canal Street? #grammys #
• Dearest iTunes, can I download that last song from the Grammys with all those terrible completely silent 5 sec censors? Planning? #
• A barbie doll in stiletto boots gets her bag searched by NYPD at Union Square while I walk right by. #
• Austin #
• Get lost. I'm going to the island with @nicolewmiller. #
• Did Danny Elfman score that under water sequence? #lost #
• I really hope SNL uses Obama's Shakespeare quote from this afternoon's Q&A with senate democrats. "A plague on both your houses". #
• Missed this Conan episode when it first aired on 6/17/09. One of the best Shatner interviews. Conan is great. http://bit.ly/90C9Ky #
• Attending the Social Media Week NY @bigfuel and DM2 Friending party tonight at The Eldridge #smwny http://bit.ly/ai5Yh2 #
• RT @TechCrunch: Facebook’s Project Titan: A Full Featured Webmail Product http://tcrn.ch/bPu5dI – A Gmail killer #in #
• Thanks @nicolewmiller for this Chuck Norris easter egg: 1. Go to google.com. 2. Type "where is Chuck Norris". 3. Press "I'm feeling lucky". #
• Bravo to Honest & Vanksen for Disney's "Give-A-Day" with the Muppets (real!). Spend some time watching it all. http://bit.ly/6vO709 #

• Thank you Julia for another great dinner and leftovers. Last night we took it to page 263. Merci beaucoup. #JuliaChild #
• I define the epochs of my digital life by new Apple products. This week begins another. Now w/ rumors of no more AT&T! http://bit.ly/5qsvZ7 #
• 7 AM conference call and a rainy 50 degrees with a gale. Hello Monday. #
• RT @GuyKawasaki: Apple Tablet “will be the most important thing I’ve ever done," says Jobs http://om.ly/eZPc #
• RT @agencyspy: You've gotta see this clip of the McGraw Hill guy blowing Apple's cover http://bit.ly/cWwUah #
• RT @jessecoane: Steve Jobs and Apple is the closest thing we have to a real life Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. #
• Job's is about to change the world. Here's him introducing iMac in 1998. When internet use was the next big thing. http://bit.ly/10VOga #
• This is when the alien spaceship opens. They either come in peace or annihilate all of humanity. Live blog at http://bit.ly/2y4p3 #
• Better photos and updates at http://bit.ly/83sf3a #apple #tablet #
• RT @agencyspy: The most ridiculous Craigslist ad ever. And it's allegedly real http://bit.ly/clVW5r #

• And it begins. Apple to launch 22-inch touch-enabled all-in-one PC in 2010, says paper #tablet #apple http://bit.ly/4ELruq #
• Late to this. Must see if you have not. SNL: Digital Short: Booty Call on Hulu http://hulu.com/w/3kvh #
• RT @mashable: Apple to Unveil iPhone 4.0 Next Week Too [RUMOR] – http://bit.ly/4M0UZP #
• Give $10 by texting HAITI to 90999 or UNICEF to 20222. Charged to your phone bill. How easy is that? $700,000 in the last 30min! #
• Tablet, iPhone 4 + more! It all goes down 1/27 at 10AM PST #apple #tablet #omg #
• RT @9to5mac: iPad is the name?! http://www.9to5mac.com/ipad #
• Currently reading 'Two Thousand and Ten Digital Marketing Outlook' : http://scribd.com/doc/25441346 #in #soda #
• Starting on a project at Droga5 today #in #
• Sat in with Gabrielle Stravelli last night at The After Party. Unexpected. Had no percussion. Used a small bottle of Aleve. Seriously. #

• I supported the NYC BigApps $20,000 software challenge. Visit http://nycbigapps.com if you care about government transparency. #
• Thanks @agencyspy for a great party last night . I look forward to the next one. Did you miss it? Stay informed at http://bit.ly/6eg9lm #
• I'm learning now about GarysGuide? A global business events calendar for tech, media and more. Where have I been? http://bit.ly/UKCwA #in #
• Mud in face for my SyFy branding comment last week. The network had a banner year. It was sure no Tropicana. http://bit.ly/5RwgFC #
• The tablets are coming! The tablets are coming! #
• This morning's SF area 1.5 magnitude earthquake is related to Apple test firing their new tablet. I'm sure of it. http://bit.ly/4wjs91 #
• For a great after holiday soiree @hushstudios throws up a paint on whiteboard for the liquid propelled http://twitpic.com/x5iyy  #
• I found Paris. Blue Ribbon Bakery. http://bit.ly/8L6EaI #
• BBH wins $270 million Cadillac advertising account http://bit.ly/8jr1A4 #
• At thr Nassau County Art Museum to see Christy Singleton's silicone sculptures http://twitpic.com/xfizz #
• At Nassau County Art Museum last night to see Christy Singleton's silicone sculptures http://twitpic.com/xfizz #
• I'm performing tomorrow night with Katie Petterle at a small cabaret club in Manhattan http://bit.ly/4UvFmB #
• Does Wikipedia offer a diploma? #
• Google's chief legal officer discusses the assault by hackers on human rights activists email accounts. http://bit.ly/6nYQMx #
• I want to audition for the next marching band video! OK Go – This Too Shall Pass http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJKythlXAIY #
• Why do people put "high performance" stickers on cars that are the farthest from? #
• RT @huffingtonpost Where The Hell Is My Flying Car? Hoverboards, Robots, And Other Things Movies Promised Us (PICTURES) http://bit.ly/6C7wvl #
• Wow, Conan leaving NBC according to #dailybeast. I liked the old show better. I look forward to the next generation. http://bit.ly/5yyozW #
• @PSFK introduced me to Machinarium, a hand drawn adventure game. It looks like a Terry Gilliam story board. http://bit.ly/4tZJBP #

I’ll be playing drums tomorrow night with Katie Petterle at the Metropolitan Room.

Katie Petterle debuts with a brand new show! Singing the greatest pop rock songs from the last 50 years, Katie and her accompanist, Greg Schlotthauer, sing favorites from the Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Bob Marley, Carol King and more!

Kate Petterle grew up performing in theatres all over the Sacramento area. She attended The Boston Conservatory on a merit scholarship and moved to New York after graduating in 2001. She has been heard on TV singing the theme

song for the Saturday morning cartoon “Fighting Foodons” and on promotional ads for FOX’s Saturday morning cartoon lineup. Kate has also lent her voice to a number of characters on “Pokemon”. She is most proud of singing with The Boston Pops conducted by Keith Lockhart and recording music in Paris with popular jazz pianist Franc Monbaylet. Recently she was lucky enough to perform on California’s Central Coast with the Pacific Conservatory of Performing Arts. Favorite roles included Marta in “Company”, Hattie in “Kiss Me Kate” and various characters in “Urinetown”

Metropolitan Room
34 West 22nd St Betw. 5th & 6th Ave.
New York, NY 10010
(212) 206-0440

20.00 Cover + 2 Beverage Minimum

Please become my fan at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alexander-Rea/260478881464

You’ve been able to burn a DVD on your general retail personal computer for at least ten years.  Have you ever wanted to burn a Dual-Layer DVD? Commonly referred to as DVD+R DL (or DVD-R DL). Know what one is?  The later can hold up to 8.5 gigabytes, compared with only 4.7 gigabytes of the other.

It’s the morning of the 21st of December and I’m coming down off an all night DVD burning bender.  16 of them.  Two sets of 8.  Roughly 128 gb. Over 20 hours of family videos transferred from 27 Betamax tapes by my girlfriend, Nicole Miller.  The project is her’s. She conceived and designed. With full menus with animated chapter previews, disc and jewel case artwork. All in a nice red Stockholm CD Box.  I’m handling the digital video technical production and I’ve been sleeping next to my laptop with a timer going off every 20 minutes to feed the burner.

The final product. Scanned labels from the Betamax tapes used for the artwork. Designed by Nicole Miller

I’ve been using Apple’s DVD Studio Pro for about seven years.  Most of my work has been small projects.  Maybe an hour at the most.  After learning last minute about breakpoints and the best fact of all–that a 4.7 gigabyte is not in fact the true size.  While we were all learning about kilobytes (kb) and megabyte (mb) the DVD came along and someone slipped in the gigabyte (gb) reference.  DVD disc sizes are expressed in GB but in fact are measured in decimal billions of bytes (see chart).  Meaning that the DVD you bought that says GB really only holds 4.37 GB (not 4.7).  Really fun when you have already calculated the amount of clips per DVD.  A great 11th hour change.  But I work during the day in a business of 11th hour changes so it’s common practice for me but you might not like it.  Another fun factoid are breakpoints.  The area in the DVD where the player stops playing layer 1 and goes to layer 2.  DVD Studio Pro did not want to build without a breakpoint when I was trying to build so I decided to build all of the DVDs to a hard drive then burn the VIDEO_TS folder.  DVD Studio Pro did not like formatting the DVDs with VIDEO_TS with no breakpoint (breakpoints are not carried over to the hard drive written folder).  Fortunately I had recently picked up Toast 10 Titanium and I not yet used it.  Turned out to be the project saver app.  An amazing user interface and it burned the VIDEO_TS folder with no problem.  What about those pesky breakpoints?  Turns out that they are placed automatically in the data when it is burned by Toast.  DVD Studio Pro gives you the option of automatically and the also placing it in the video.  The idea is so you do not get skips in the video when you jump to the next layer.  I don’t see the need.  Every movie I’ve watched on a DL disc (most of them you have too) may have a slight skip depending on the player.  More like a freeze.  It’s not life changing and often is completely not noticed.  Bad news in this phase of the project is that DVD Studio Pro failed me when it came to the breakpoint issue.  It was not informative or user friendly.

Your Mac's DVD player may not like these.

I was not out of the woods yet as I quickly learned.  Turns out the media I purchased did not like my *NEW* Macbook Pro (MacBookPro5,5 or A1278). All sorts of nasty mean messages with scary words like critical and fault associated with hardware and then a bunch of x’s and zeroes.  Very friendly.

These might be a higher quality.

The media I purchased first was by Memorex.  After wasting ten of them I had another last minute life saving forum moment.  I learned that Verbatim made a better quality product so I left my hungry burner as soon as the closest Best Buy opened.  Fortunately, living in NYC there are a few Best Buys.  Two within a 15 minute walk of each other.  I grabbed the Verbatim’s and also an external drive. The LG GE20.  I was amazed at how cheap DVD burners are now. They even had one Blu-ray burner.  With Toast’s support for Blu-ray it may be a great option for later this year.  The costs per disk is outrageous still.  Verbatim sells a 3-pack for $27.99.

I then split my burn job up between my Macbook and my other machine, a Dual PowerPC G5. Make the minor investment in an external burner.  The joke was that the Memorex’s worked more often in the LG external.

LG External Burner. Faster than the one in the new Macbooks and you can get it for less than $100.00.

My recommendation is that dual-layer DVDs are worth it and that you should consider making the minor investment in an external drive to burn them.  The ones Apple is shipping with their units may be rotten.  Always check the forums related to the projects you are working on.  If it’s digital video (or burning it) or anything new media related the odds are someone in the last five years has experience it and has provided a solution.  When you up against a deadline, Google.  And be fueled on the flight deck in case you have to run to the store.  Good luck!

Tech Used For This Project:

1. Macbook Pro 13″ (MacBookPro5,5 or A1278)
   Intel Core Duo, 2.26 4GB RAM
   Internal Disc Drive: HL-DT-ST DVDRW GS23N
   Media That Worked: Verbatim
2. Power Mac (PowerMac7,3)
   Dual 2 Ghz PowerPC G5 3.5GB RAM
   External Disc Drive: LG GE20, HL-DT-ST DVDRWGE20LU11