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Saturday, September 14, 2002
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Some people are using their PCs as a home stereo component for streaming audio and well as a mp3 jukebox. Unfortunately most soundcards produce poor quality audio. You can deal with the problem with a high quality soundcard (expensive) or an external digital to analog converter.
For the past two years I've been using a very nice external converter that set me back $130. Xitel offers something called the HiFi-link that appears to be about the same thing for just $50. I haven't tried one, but you might want to take a look at it.
http://www.xitel.com
In my case I have a very quiet laptop with an 802.11b link that can be linked to the home stereo. Most people don't have PCs in the same place where their home entertainment system is. In particular PCs with loud fans are particularly unwelcome. My laptop connects to the home jukebox (which is on a Mac in another room) and the system works well giving me jukebox and Net access when needed.
5:59:30 AM 
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Placing PCs and network access in the third world is a non-trival activity. Jhai PC is a Laotian project that is attempting to address the issues of cost, access (power as well as net), reliability and language. The focus seems to be on email and voip over an 802.11b network. They are going through the trouble of making a Laotian flavor of Linux, which is probably essential if they are to succeed.
http://www.80211-planet.com/columns/article/0,4000,1781_1454991,00.html
5:59:14 AM
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Speaking of being impressed - have you ever pondered the creation of the smiley?
http://research.microsoft.com/~mbj/Smiley/Smiley.html
(thanks for the link Linda) Note the archeological effort required. One wonders how readable our electronic documents will be in twenty years - and if they will be important enough to matter.
5:58:20 AM
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Another tip of the hat to Greg for recommending a place that can accept much of your unwanted change in the pursuit of fooling around with home science and engineering.
http://www.sciplus.com./
5:57:53 AM
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