Zune Owners Get NEW Finger In The Eye

If you are not familiar with the Zune, then count yourself lucky. The Zune is Microsoft's new portable music player. From that standpoint, it does do that, however you can get other players that can do that for alot less.

The Zune's claim to fame is that it has WiFi that allows you to "squirt" (honest to God, that is the term they use) a song to another Zune and that person can play it up to 3 times in 3 days.

That is the only thing they used the WiFi for. What a waste of potential.

As if that is not enough, here is the latest "Fuck You" from Microsoft to Zune owners, if you buy songs from the Zune music site that are owned by Sony or Universal, the "squirting" feature is disabled. Yes that sucks, but one would say "Well don't buy those songs" which is good advice IF THEY TOLD YOU AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE!

No, the only way someone finds out that they can't loan a song to someone is after they purchased the song and they try to "squirt" it. On top of that Sony and Universal make up about 40-50% of the music available on the Zune music store website.

It's almost poetic justice for someone stupid enough to fall victim to Microsoft. As P T Barnum once said "There's a sucker born every minute, and two to take him"

For the full article click here.

I now understand why the Zune is the only music player that offers BROWN as a colour option: the Zune is a piece of shit.

Until next time, keep on having fun (and stay away from those Zunes).

"bah weep graaagnah wheep ni ni bong"

Free Canadian Tax Software

Given that the new year is upon us, we should start thinking about Income Tax,

There are tonnes of software out there that will prepare your taxes for you, but they all want money from you. Some have free trials (who wants to do their taxes five times?) others are free for low incomes, for the rest of us cheapos, there is the handy-dandy pen and calculator.

Until now that is.

Here are three FREE (as in beer) pieces of software for preparing your taxes in Canada. I have personally used the first two options myself. They are completely free, uncrippled, freeware options. The third I discovered during my searches, so I have no experience with it.

1) Peel Technologies, MyTAX

Technically, this isn't software, its the Canadian tax forms in Microsoft Excel format. Very easy to use, and perfectly legal and acceptable. I've personally used these forms, and I had no problem with Revenue Canada.

Other Office Suites might be able to open the files, making this solution cross-platform.

Method of submittal for MyTAX is strictly mail only, Netfile is not supported.


2) BHOK IT Consulting, StudioTax

This is actual tax preparation software. You just install it (Windows only), launch it, and create your returns. A simple series of questions covers the basic tax issues. For more complicated returns, just click on the needed form an fill it in.

StudioTax is fully Netfile certified (v. 2006 is currently undergoing the CRA Certification Process) so you can file through the NETFILE homepage. Get your returns faster (no mailing, save trees!), with less chance of error since they don't have to type anything in (woo-hoo!).

StudioTax will still let you print out the tax forms if you still prefer to send paper.

I used this last year, and I'm planning on using it again this year as well.


3) Phanku Software Corp., eTaxCanada

Again, I have not used this software (Windows only), so I can't vouch for it. It seems to be free and it claims to be NETFILE Certified.

If anyone has used this software, please post a comment reviewing it. Others will be glad you did.

Well, that's is for now. Until next time, keep having fun.


"bah weep graaagnah wheep ni ni bong"

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year Stream Crossers!

This Christmas I finally decided to buy a new computer. Now normally I would have built one from scratch, but I was feeling especially lazy, so I bought an Apton from MDG.

It wasn't bad, and the 22 inch, high def, widescreen monitor definitely made it all worthwhile.

I did have a dead pixel problem with the first monitor, the second one was snowy, the third one burnt down, fell over, and sank into the swamp (just kidding). No the third one, that stayed up and so far is working really well.

Other than that, I spent the time with family and friends, drank champagne, and attended a really *interesting* Christmas party.

Well until next time, keep having fun.

"bah weep graaagnah wheep ni ni bong"

Hey! Leggo my mp3's!!!

Attention Stream Crossers with iPods,

Is your iPod being a bit of a hog with your mp3's? While I know that there are many pieces of software out there that will allow you to transfer your songs back to your PC, they all need to be installed on your PC.

That's why iDump is such a cool tool. It is a simple executable file (ie no installation required, just click and run) that can even be run from your iPod.

Just click on the link above, download the "Executable Only" and save it anywhere you want. If you didn't save it to your iPod, it even has an option in the menu to copy itself to your iPod! What could be easier?

Until next time, keep having fun

"bah weep graaagnah wheep ni ni bong"