28 Dec 2007

flv 2 mp4 - get youtube on the ipod

How to transcode youtube's videos to your iPod

A simple FLV (Flash) to MP4 converter!

also works as an FLV 2
MP4, AVI 2 MP4, WMV 2 MP4, 3GP 2 MP4, ...
in other words, it transcodes
any .FLV file from any site (metacafe, google ...) to an MPEG4

Yes yes, i know there are tons of tools already doin' that (like eg iTube)
But, for many reasons i prefer to use a simpler BATCH SCRIPT,
instead of installing other softwares
.

Note that this also works for any input format supported by VLC.
Eg: you can quickly convert any FILE from AVI, WMV, MOV, 3GP, DVD

Basically this operation consists of 3 main steps:

1) download the .FLV file from youtube
(very quick & easy if using the firefox's extension called Fast Video Download)

2) use this dos script (it can be easily converted in linux).

C:\> vlc -vvv FILE.FLV :sout="#transcode{fps=25,samplerate=44100,width=320, canvas-height=240, vcodec=mp4v, vb=768, acodec=mp4a, ab=96, channels=2}:standard{access=file,mux=mp4,url=MYFILE.MP4}" vlc:quit

3) drop the MP4 file in iTunes;


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

to make life easier

i created my own batch script that converts all the input files in just one command.
this can be used in windows in the ( "send to -->" context menu).
Paste the following code
in a new file, and check the VLC path is correct (VLC1=...)

i've created 4 possible VLC locations (VLC1, VLC2 ...) just to use the same script on different boxes.


@ECHO off

SET VLC1="C:\Program Files\vlc\videolan\vlc.exe"
SET VLC2="C:\Programmi\vlc\videolan\vlc.exe"
SET VLC3="C:\VLC\vlc.exe"
SET VLC4="D:\VLC\vlc.exe"
SET VLC=%VLC1%

IF NOT EXIST %VLC% SET VLC=%VLC2%
IF NOT EXIST %VLC% SET VLC=%VLC3%
IF NOT EXIST %VLC% SET VLC=%VLC4%

IF EXIST %VLC% GOTO LOOP

ECHO ERROR! VLC not found
pause

GOTO CLEANUP

:LOOP

IF (%1)==() GOTO CLEANUP

REM IMPORTANT !!
REM
REM in the following lines, the script
REM corrects the filename: replacing all the strange
REM characters, and removing the file extension
REM thus: YOU NEED TO HAVE an .FLV (or .AVI .3GP .XXX)
REM extension in the input filename!

SET FILE1=%1
SET FILE2=%FILE1%
SET FILE2=%FILE2:~0,-5%
SET FILE2=%FILE2:"=%
SET FILE2=%FILE2:'= %
SET FILE2=%FILE2%.mp4
SET FILE2='%FILE2%'

%VLC% -vvv %FILE1% :sout="#transcode{fps=25,samplerate=44100,width=320, canvas-height=240, vcodec=mp4v, vb=768, acodec=mp4a, ab=96, channels=2}:standard{access=file,mux=mp4,url=%FILE2%}" vlc:quit

SHIFT

GOTO LOOP

:CLEANUP


NOTE: the only requirement is the VLC video lan converter .

27 Dec 2007

Racer: a free cross-platform car simulator

Free games: Racer Car and Racing Simulator
NEWS: on 22nd Dec '07 has been released a new beta: v0.5.8 beta 8

Racer is a free cross-platform car simulator
... simply the best freeware car race simulator ever ... IMHO :)
  • can play via LAN or Internet with friends!
  • you can download tons of cars & Circuits !!!!
  • you can make your own car models or modify existing ones (very easy, simply uses ASCII files, or the includes software);
  • supports vehicles from 2 to 8 wheels;
  • easy installation: just unzip the folder and dlb click to dirve
  • ... and many many other feautures, check out the overview page



works on windows, linux, macos with OpenGL support for nVidia & ATI Cards.

the main site: www.racer.nl

and the screenshot gallery: here

Donwload Racer:
for Windows & MacOS go here
for Linux users, go here

More donwloads - cars & tracks database:
iroker.com
racer-xtreme.com

xtremeracers.net

kcendra.com/nfsbolide

sio.midco.net/mmonhoia/
gtapex.com



To use other controls in racers, like a joystict:

1) go to copy this code in /data/ctrlsets/
and look for a suitable file (eg: im using ms_wheel.ini)
2) copy this file in /data/controls/
3) run the config.exe (on windows) then select your new device

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

NOTE: if you are experiencing NO ENGINE SOUND for the card you dowloaded,
then you may have to update the CAR.INI file with the new parameters;

1) open the car.ini file locatel in your car directory
2) paste those lines at the bottom of the file
3) just check the WAV file's names are fine

;NEW AUDIO SECTION COMPATIBILITY

audio
{
skid
{
sample=skid.wav
}
accelerate_out
{
volume=1
smp0
{
sample=engine.wav
min=1
max=11000
natural=9250
}
}
}





18 Dec 2007

Most usefull disk utility for Windows:
jkDefrag + pagedefrag

Here's a couple of disk utilities for Windows.

Both softwares are completely free, and without any time limit!



<1> jkDefrag is a disk defragmenter and optimizer for Windows 2000/2003/XP/Vista/X64.
No install, no configuration. Just run it!
Can even scan USB or MemoryStick disks.
Also available: a (1) command line version, (2) a DLL to build in your own apps, and (3) a screensaver version.


<2> sysinternals pagedefrag provide you the ability to see and fix your paging files and Registry hives fragmentation.
Normal defrag utilities can't access those files, and since those files are the most used on windows, this software is a must to have.

It runs at boot time. No install or configuration to do.
Just run it and select "run at next boot" (it runs before the login screen).

- Administrators sets pagedefrag to run at every boot on client's pcs.
Select "run at every boot" ... it's fast, easy, and ... most of all, works great!
The 1st time it may take some minutes, but if used at every boot, it takes few secs to run.

- I suggest you to take a look at the complete sysinternals suite.

Oracle XE and UTL_FILE: Error starting at line 1 ...

If you just installed OracleXE, and while compiling some plsql code you get an error message that says:

Error starting at line 1 in command: DECLARE file_id UTL_FILE.FILE_TYPE

Than, the solution is quite easy, you just have to:

1) open sqlplus and connect to the dbms:

C:\> sqlplus

2) conenct as dba:

SQL> conn sys as SYSDBA

3) execute the script utlfile.sql located in your oracle admin directory:

SQL> @D:\oracle\app\oracle\product\10.2.0\server\RDBMS\ADMIN\utlfile.sql

4) ... and, remeber to grant execution to your normal user (or PUBLIC)

SQL> GRANT EXECUTE on SYS.UTL_FILE TO PUBLIC

.